Close Menu
bkngpnarnaul
  • Home
  • Education
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Math
    • Physics
    • Science
    • Teacher
  • E-Learning
    • Educational Technology
  • Health Education
    • Special Education
  • Higher Education
  • IELTS
  • Language Learning
  • Study Abroad

Subscribe to Updates

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading
What's Hot

K-12 Gamification: A Guide For Publishers

September 23, 2025

Can Plantar Fasciitis Cause Knee Pain? Know the Link

September 23, 2025

The Purpose of a Classroom Observation for Gathering Data

September 23, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Tuesday, September 23
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
bkngpnarnaul
  • Home
  • Education
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Math
    • Physics
    • Science
    • Teacher
  • E-Learning
    • Educational Technology
  • Health Education
    • Special Education
  • Higher Education
  • IELTS
  • Language Learning
  • Study Abroad
bkngpnarnaul
Home»Science»Australia’s pink lakes: The remnants of ancient rivers now teeming with microbes that make rosy pigments
Science

Australia’s pink lakes: The remnants of ancient rivers now teeming with microbes that make rosy pigments

adminBy adminAugust 1, 20251 Comment3 Mins Read0 Views
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News Flipboard Threads
Australia’s pink lakes: The remnants of ancient rivers now teeming with microbes that make rosy pigments
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Copy Link



QUICK FACTS

Name: Lake Hillier, Pink Lake and others

Location: Western Australia

Coordinates: -34.09487137998776, 123.20277096721424

Why it’s incredible: Bacteria and microalgae turn these lakes bubblegum-pink.

Australia’s pink lakes are bodies of water that harbor rare, pigment-producing microbes. The lakes are about 10 times saltier than the ocean, attracting algae and bacteria that churn out beta-carotene — a red-orange pigment that also gives carrots, crayfish and flamingos their characteristic colors.

Most of the country’s pink lakes are found in Western Australia, which has around a dozen. The lakes are the remnants of rivers that flowed across the landscape more than 15 million years ago, which makes them thousands of years old, according to National Geographic.

As the ancient rivers dried up, pockets of water were left over and partially evaporated over time, concentrating salt and attracting salt-loving microorganisms such as Dunaliella salina and Salinibacter ruber — which are single-celled algae and red bacteria, respectively. D. salina and S. ruber produce beta-carotene when exposed to sunlight, turning the lakes different shades of pink depending on salt levels. Beta-carotene protects these microorganisms from ultraviolet rays and absorbs light energy, enabling them to thrive and reproduce, according to National Geographic.


You may like

But pink lakes are fragile because changes in salinity can upset their regular inhabitants. Heavy rainfall, for example, can dilute the lakes’ salt content to the extent that photosynthetic algae completely replace D. salina and S. ruber.

This recently happened at Lake Hillier on Western Australia’s Middle Island, according to ABC News. Lake Hillier previously harbored a wide array of pigment-producing microbes, but extreme rainfall due to climate change in 2022 disturbed this community. As a result, the lake turned from pink to blue-gray — but experts think it could recover within the next 10 years if salinity returns to its previous levels.

Related: Lake Natron: The caustic, blood-red lake in Tanzania that turns animals to ‘stone’

Lake Hillier is not the only pink lake to have lost its rosy tint. Pink Lake, situated near Esperance in Western Australia, turned blue-gray in the 2000s after a century of salt mining. Salt was extracted to make table salt, salt licks for livestock, and preservatives for meat and hides, according to National Geographic. By the early 2000s, there was not enough salt left in Pink Lake for species like D. salina and S. ruber to survive. As photosynthetic algae took over, the change in color was so dramatic that locals lobbied for the lake to be renamed.

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlike Lake Hillier, experts don’t think that Pink Lake will recover naturally any time soon — but scientists have suggested artificially pumping salt from nearby salt lakes into Pink Lake to return it to pre-mining levels.

Pink lakes are feeding grounds for nomadic and migratory birds, and they host invertebrates like brine shrimp and salt lake snails, which makes them valuable ecosystems. Extreme environments like pink lakes also help scientists to understand the potential for life on Mars.

“They still produce some of the toughest organisms on the planet,” Angus Lawrie, a conservation biologist and research associate at Curtin University in Australia, told National Geographic.


Discover more incredible places, where we highlight the fantastic history and science behind some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.



Source link

Ancient Australias lakes microbes pigments pink remnants rivers rosy teeming
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp Copy Link
yhhifa9
admin
  • Website

Related Posts

Science

How dehydration secretly fuels anxiety and health problems

September 23, 2025
Language Learning

Honoring the Autumn Equinox From Ancient Rituals to Modern Festivals

September 22, 2025
Science

1,600-year-old coin hoard found in complex tunnel system under Galilee dates to last Jewish rebellion against Romans

September 22, 2025
Science

Astronaut Chris Hadfield explores murder in space in new Cold War space thriller ‘Final Orbit’ (exclusive)

September 21, 2025
Science

Researchers created a soft squeezable computer mouse

September 20, 2025
Science

Vaccine Panel Stacked by RFK Jr. Recommends Delaying MMRV Immunization

September 19, 2025
View 1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. 📻 Warning - Transfer of 2.5 Bitcoin processing. Verify Today > https://graph.org/CLAIM-BITCOIN-07-23?hs=8c3b6f1dff660316b225d5de7a1e6ab9& 📻
    📻 Warning - Transfer of 2.5 Bitcoin processing. Verify Today > https://graph.org/CLAIM-BITCOIN-07-23?hs=8c3b6f1dff660316b225d5de7a1e6ab9& 📻 on August 1, 2025 3:09 pm

    fkpupn

    Reply
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Posts

2024 in math puzzles. – Math with Bad Drawings

July 22, 202521 Views

Testing Quantum Theory in Curved Spacetime

July 22, 202514 Views

How AI Is Helping Customer Support Teams Avoid Burnout

May 28, 202510 Views

Chemistry in the sunshine – in C&EN

August 9, 20258 Views
Don't Miss

Can I Use Financial Aid for a Study Abroad Program?

By adminSeptember 23, 20250

248 Are you wondering how to pay for study abroad? You’re not alone! Cost concerns…

What I Wish I Knew Before Starting University | Study in Ireland

September 22, 2025

Meet Four College Students Who Studied Abroad in England

September 19, 2025

Literary Gardens – Global Studies Blog

September 16, 2025
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo

Subscribe to Updates

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Bkngpnarnaul. At Bkngpnarnaul, we are committed to shaping the future of technical education in Haryana. As a premier government institution, our mission is to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to thrive in today’s competitive and ever-evolving technological landscape.

Our Picks

K-12 Gamification: A Guide For Publishers

September 23, 2025

Can Plantar Fasciitis Cause Knee Pain? Know the Link

September 23, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading
Copyright© 2025 Bkngpnarnaul All Rights Reserved.
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.