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At the Salt Ponds


Walking by the salt ponds in late afternoon, I took this photo of blue waters, crystallizing salt and packed salt beds beyond.


After a few days, note the red pinkish hue of the water. In researching the reason for this coloration, I found this is due to the presence in the salt pond of "halophilic archeabacteria" bearing carotenoid compounds. These microorganisms thrive in areas of high salinity.

Live and learn!

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Images by Charie
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