Video: Water bodies in the Tuzly Estuaries in the Odesa region have turned red due to the heat
In the “Tuzlivski Limany” National Nature Park in the south of Odesa Oblast, some of the water bodies have turned red and pink. This was caused by a massive proliferation of microorganisms due to high temperatures and active water evaporation.
This was reported by Ivan Rusev, Ph.D. in Biology and head of the national park’s research department, who also released a video of this unusual natural phenomenon.
According to the scientist, the main cause of the color change is the microalgae Dunaliella salina. Under normal conditions, it is green in color, but when water salinity exceeds 200–300 promille and solar radiation is intense, it begins to produce large amounts of beta-carotene. It is this red-orange pigment that protects the algae from ultraviolet radiation and photooxidation.
In addition, as the water bodies continue to evaporate and salt precipitates out, halophilic archaea—particularly Halobacterium—proliferate actively. They contain the pigment bacteriorhodopsin, which intensifies the purple-red hues of the water.
The national park notes that this phenomenon is natural and is caused by a combination of heat, high salinity of the water bodies, and the active growth of halophilic microorganisms.
Ivan Rusev reported this on Facebook.
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