An underwater lake, devoid of oxygen, was discovered in 2020 in the depths of Egypt’s Red Sea, a study by scientists from the University of Miami revealed in June.
A rare phenomenon, this lake, which is located almost two kilometers under water, is hypersaline – therefore, which contains a large amount of salt – and is oxygen-free.
OceanX YouTube screenshot
Because of the salt content, “any animal that swims in this area dies. (…) Predators use this area to feed on the unlucky,” Sam Purkis, one of the study’s researchers, told Live Science.
Even though this environment is considered extreme, the scientists behind the study detected the presence of a large number of bacteria living in this underwater pool.
Moreover, this discovery could prove useful to see if there are life forms living on other planets, because it allows to better understand how living organisms adapt when the conditions are difficult.
OceanX YouTube screenshot
This kind of lake is not unique. A dozen have been found in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico over the past 30 years. However, it is the first to be located so close to the coast, about two kilometers from it.