A pink lake: something like that only exists in fairy tales – or currently in Hawaii. A certain bacterium causes a pond to shine in this particular color.
Honolulu – A lake in a nature reserve in Hawaii (USA) is currently shining in unusual shades of pink. The water at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge looks so bright pink right now, like it came out of a children’s cartoon. The body of water is one of the few salt marshes on the coast of the island of Maui in the archipelago. According to official information, the small lake has looked like this since at least October 30, 2023. The explanation is not magic, but science: the salinity of the water had risen sharply due to an extreme drought.
Halobacteria cause unusual color in the lake in the holiday paradise of Hawaii (USA)
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, water samples sent to the University of Hawaii indicate that halobacteria are behind the pond’s new magenta hue. These are single-celled organisms that thrive in very saline water such as the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea. The bacterium is considered unique due to its ability to live in such an extreme environment – in this case, one in which the salinity of the water is twice that of seawater.
Authorities advise against contact with the pink water until further analysis is completed. “As a precautionary measure, we recommend maintaining a safe distance and not entering the water, not consuming fish from the water and making sure that pets do not drink the water.”
Extreme drought on the holiday island of Hawaii in the USA – climate change is to blame
While Kealia literally means “salt encrustation,” the pond’s salinity has risen well above normal due to Maui’s extreme drought. According to the US Drought Monitor, the entire island is experiencing “severe drought.” In fact, the area where Kealia Pond is located is experiencing “extreme drought” – the second most severe level on the Drought Monitor scale.
The Waikapu Stream, which brings water from the West Maui Mountains to Kealia Pond, also flows through the area of extreme drought. The reduced freshwater input into the pond has also increased the salt concentration and provided a cozy haven for the colorful halobacteria. About 90 percent of Maui County, which includes other islands, is experiencing at least severe drought. This has only gotten worse since the wildfires in Lahaina in August. The climate crisis has been causing increasingly severe drought on the archipelago for years.
It’s not just in Hawaii in the USA that people are surprised on vacation: recently there was a shocking moment on a vacation plane. A plane lost control at over 250 km/h. A spokesman explains the rapid cancellation of the start. (cgsc)
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