What's New
Off Topix: Embrace the Unexpected in Every Discussion

Off Topix is a well established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public way back in 2009! We provide a laid back atmosphere and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register & become a member of our awesome community.

Don't Panic! It's Just A Blood-Red Lake.

Nebulous's iconNebulous

Founder of Off Topix
Elite Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Posts
82,850
OT Bucks
157,799
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...f=weird-news&ir=Weird+News&section=weird-news

55ae900218000025003766eb.jpeg


Tuz Golu, a salt lake in Aksaray, Turkey, looks like the devil's swimming pool now that a massive algae bloom has turned it a bizarre shade of pink.

But fear not -- the color change isn't a sign of the apocalypse, or an ecological disaster. Rosy Dunaliella salina algae are totally harmless, and pinken the lake every year.

The lake water evaporates in the heat of the summer, killing plankton that usually eat the algae, Stony Brook University marine ecology research professor Christopher Gobler explained to ABC News.

"So now, the algae is thriving and will probably [be] red until the lake fully evaporates, probably next month, during the peak of summer heat," he said. Gobler wouldn't recommend drinking the water, but added that the organisms have antioxidant properties.

They're also rich in red beta carotene, which gives flamingos their pink color.

Tuz Golu is one of the largest salt lakes in the world, and lies in a tectonic depression in Turkey's dry central plateau. For most of the year, it covers 580 square miles, and is just three to six feet deep.

The lake recedes and reddens every summer, leaving behind cracked salt flats that supply half of Turkey's salt, and attract snap-happy tourists.

Thoughts?
 
They should have filmed the movie Jaws here!
shark-smiley-emoticon.gif
 
Back
Top Bottom