Waters of Iran�s salty Lake Urmia, which are normally aquamarine or various shades of green, became blood red, as captured by NASA. According to scientists, the color change was caused by microorganisms.




�The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on�NASA's Aqua satellite recently captured a transition in�the color of�Lake Urmia between�April and July 2016. On April 23, the water was green as�usual; by�July 18, the lake started to�look more like�a wine spill.
Like the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest salty lake, Lake Urmia has shrunk rapidly during�the past�decades. The results from�satellite imagery indicated that the lake has lost about�70% of�its surface area over�the last 14 years, scientists say. As it becomes smaller, it grows saltier, especially during�the summertime. That is when the microorganisms show their colors.

According to�scientists, there are two main groups of�organisms involved in�the color change: a family of�algae called Dunaliella and an archaic family of�bacteria known as�Halobacteriaceae.

"In the marine environment, Dunaliella salina appears green; however, in�conditions of�high salinity and light intensity, the microalgae turns red due to�the production of�protective carotenoids in�the cells," explained Mohammad Tourian, a scientist at�the University of�Stuttgart. Carotenoids are organic pigments responsible for�bright red, yellow and orange hues.

Other scientists emphasize the role of�Halobacteriaceae, a group of�bacteria, which release a red pigment that absorbs light and converts it into�energy for�the bacteria. When populations of�the bacteria are large enough, they can stain bodies of�water.

By Sputnik