26 June 2012

Lake Retba (Senegal)


Remember the photo of the potash mining ponds?  Here's a similar process occurring naturally in a lake in Senegal, where high levels of salt support the growth of a halophilic extremophile (Dunaliella salina) which produces a red pigment, turning the salty water pink.

The salt is harvested by local villagers.

Info from the Huffington Post, via Neatorama.

4 comments:

  1. halophilic extremopiles did it? wow. Looks like it could be on another planet or something

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  2. those boats are floating on a giant strawberry milkshake

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    Replies
    1. ... and quite funny, I actually made that comment before I checked Huff Puff :)

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  3. It looks like a lake full of Pepto-Bismol - or maybe that's just the enormous supper I just ate talking...

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