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When we think of some of the most extreme ecosystems that we can find on the planet, one of those that occupies a preeminent position is, without a doubt, the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is one of the lakes with the highest concentration of salt that can be found in the world. This makes it a place that, at least in theory, seems completely incompatible with life.
However, despite what it may seem at first, its name does not fully do justice to reality since, despite everything, you can find some type of fauna in this hypersaline sea. If you want to know how many species live in the Dead Sea and what species are they, continue reading Green Ecologist and we will tell you.
Why is it called the Dead Sea
When talking about Dead Sea, despite being called the sea, it would be more fair to speak of a big lake. What happens is that, due to its especially large dimensions, tradition has given it this name. In any case, whether it is considered a lake or a sea, it is a inner water body, completely isolated from the rest of the oceans, located in the Middle East and with the characteristic of being located 422 meters below ocean level.
On the other hand, the adjective "dead" refers to the absence of plant and animal life that dominates most of its waters. The Dead Sea is a hypersaline sea, that is, with a concentration of salts that is very high than that of the rest of the sea water bodies (up to 25% more than normal). Due to this, most plant and animal species are unable to survive in these waters, so it is a sea that, at least at first glance, seems completely dead.
What species are in the Dead Sea
As discussed above, are there no animals in this sea? Actually, if we take a quick look at the waters of the Dead Sea, the first impression will be that, indeed, it is a place devoid of life. But the truth is that this would be a lot of exaggeration. One of the aspects that makes it look like a completely sterile sea is that there are no fish of any kind, which are the main animals that are related to aquatic ecosystems. However, beyond fish, you can find other types of animals that live in the Dead Sea:
Birds
The largest animals that can be found living in the waters of the Dead Sea are birds. Specifically, the birds in this part of the planet are acuatic birds, What pelicans or Pelecanus and some types of storks or Ciconia ciconia well adapted to these environments.
Crustaceans
Likewise, despite the fact that there are no fish or amphibians of any kind in these waters, some crustaceans can be found, which in fact are one of the main foods for the birds that inhabit the surroundings of the Dead Sea.
Of these crustaceans the most remarkable is the brine shrimp, a species of crustacean with an elongated body and a multitude of lateral legs that has evolved to live specially adapted to this type of hypersaline environment.
Are there no more species in the Dead Sea?
If we think of the life of the Dead Sea from the perspective of the animal world the answer is yes, there is nothing else, which undoubtedly does justice to the name of this sea even though it is not completely devoid of life.
However, despite the fact that they cannot be seen, there are other types of species that do populate the Dead Sea and that, in addition, do so in especially abundant numbers. These are the so-called halophilic microorganisms, that is, microscopic life forms that are adapted to life in hypersaline aquatic environments. It is a fairly large number of this type of organisms invisible to the human eye, among which are some types of protozoa, some microscopic algae, and a large group of bacteria of the genera Flavobacterium, Halococcus Y Halobacterium.
Thus, regarding the doubt of how many species live in the Dead SeaThe exact amount is not known but it is proven that they are very few compared to the rest of the ecosystems of our planet.
The Dead Sea is a sea you cannot sink into
On the other hand, the dead Sea It is famous throughout the world because it is curious that its bathers cannot immerse themselves in it. This may seem absurd and goes against all logic. However, in this case, the hypersalinity of its waters again has the explanation for this very characteristic phenomenon.
Due to the very high level of salt with which its waters count, this makes it exceptionally dense waters. Consequently, for something to sink into them, it must be denser than this liquid, but this is not the case of the human body, whose density is lower than that of these waters. Consequently, when bathers enter the Dead Sea, they float naturally without having to make any effort to stay afloat.
If you want to read more articles similar to How many species live in the Dead Sea, we recommend that you enter our Wild Animals category.
