Great Salt Lake microbiology: a historical perspective

International Microbiology : the Official Journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology
Bonnie K Baxter

Abstract

Over geologic time, the water in the Bonneville basin has risen and  fallen, most dramatically as freshwater Lake Bonneville lost enormous volume 15,000-13,000 years ago and became the modern day Great Salt Lake. It is likely that paleo-humans lived along the shores of this body of water as it shrunk to the present margins, and native peoples inhabited the surrounding desert and wetlands in recent times. Nineteenth century Euro-American explorers and pioneers described the geology, geography, and flora and fauna of Great Salt Lake, but their work attracted white settlers to Utah, who changed the lake immeasurably. Human intervention in the 1950s created two large sub-ecosystems, bisected by a railroad causeway. The north arm approaches ten times the salinity of sea water, while the south arm salinity is a meager four times that of the oceans. Great Salt Lake was historically referred to as sterile, leading to the nickname "America's Dead Sea." However, the salty brine is teaming with life, even in the hypersaline north arm. In fact, scientists have known that this lake contains a diversity of microscopic lifeforms for more than 100 years. This essay will explore the stories of the people who observed and researched the salty mi...Continue Reading

References

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Dec 3, 2014·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Eric S BoydJohn W Peters
Jan 7, 2017·The Science of the Total Environment·Eric S BoydMark Marvin-DiPasquale

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Citations

Jun 22, 2020·Environmental Management·Chris A B ZajchowskiBrenda B Bowen
Jul 3, 2021·Antibiotics·Martha Lok-Yung HuiLearn-Han Lee
Sep 7, 2021·International Microbiology : the Official Journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology·Negar MozahebMohammad Ali Amoozegar

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