Debates often focus on how much time and effort should be expended on investigating the possibility of any microscopic life on a planet before deciding whether to terraform, and what level of sophistication or chances for future development alien life would deserve varying levels of commitment to non-interference.
Discussions often revolve around determining how much time and resources should be allocated to investigating the existence of any microscopic life on a planet prior to making decisions about terraforming, and how seriously we should treat the development potential of alien life at varying degrees of non-intrusion.