An "Ark" typically refers to a large vessel or container designed to hold and protect something valuable. The most famous example is Noah's Ark, a biblical story in which Noah built an ark to save his family and pairs of animals from a great flood. This ark is often depicted as a large wooden boat. In modern contexts, the term "ark" can also refer to various projects or initiatives aimed at preservation. For instance, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is sometimes called a "doomsday ark" because it stores seeds from around the world to protect biodiversity in case of global disasters.