Scientists have discovered a 10-feet long brine pool at the bottom of the Red Sea that is lethal to both sea creatures and humans. Here’s all about it.
What is the lethal ‘deathpool’ at the bottom of the Red Sea?
A team of scientists from the University of Miami discovered a ‘deathpool’ at the bottom of the Red Sea. It is a 10-feet long brine pool and is lethal to humans and most sea creatures. Rare brine pools in the Red Sea are extremely salty. They cannot sustain marine life forms because they are devoid of any oxygen whatsoever.
Professor Sam Purkis, part of the research team, explained that the lack of oxygen can immediately stun or kill any sea creature. He is the chair of the University of Miami’s Department of Marine Geosciences.
The team discovered the pool at a depth of 1,770 meters using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV).
“At this great depth, there is ordinarily not much life on the seabed. However, the brine pools are a rich oasis of life. Thick carpets of microbes support a diverse suite of animals,” said Professor Purkins.
This mysterious deathpool act as a food reserve for predators feeding on these unlucky fish that come towards it.
More on the mystery
According to the team, the discovery of the deathpool can also help scientists understand the formation of oceans on Earth millions of years ago.
“Our discovery of a rich community of microbes that survive in extreme environments can help trace the limits of life on Earth. Our current understanding is that life originated on Earth in the deep sea, almost certainly in anoxic conditions. That is, without oxygen. Deep-sea brine pools are a great analog for the early Earth and, despite being devoid of oxygen and hypersaline, are teeming with a rich community of so-called ‘extremophile’ microbes,” stated Professor Purkins.
“Studying this community hence allows a glimpse into the sort of conditions where life first appeared on our planet, and might guide the search for life on other ‘water worlds’ in our solar system and beyond,” he added.
Additionally, these pools might also contain microbial components holding the potential of contributing to the development of new medicines. “Molecules with antibacterial and anticancer properties have previously been isolated from deep-sea microbes living in brine pools,” revealed Purkis.