Scientists Finding Strange Life Forms in Great Salt Lake

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the discovery of unusual life forms in the Great Salt Lake and their potential implications for understanding extraterrestrial life, particularly on Mars. It encompasses aspects of microbiology, environmental science, and astrobiology.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that scientists have discovered organisms in the Great Salt Lake that exhibit unusual shapes, differing from typical microbial forms.
  • There is speculation about the potential classification of images of these organisms, with one participant suggesting they may be classified until more information is available.
  • Another participant highlights the unique visual characteristics of the Great Salt Lake, suggesting it is a valuable location for photography and research.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express interest in the findings, but there is no consensus on the classification of the organisms or the availability of images. The discussion remains open-ended regarding the implications of these discoveries.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of visual evidence presented in the discussion and uncertainty regarding the organisms' classification and the conditions under which they were observed.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to microbiologists, astrobiologists, environmental scientists, and photographers interested in unique natural phenomena.

Ivan Seeking
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A consortium of scientists, including a Utah biologist, say some weird creatures found in the Great Salt Lake might help unravel some of the mysteries on Mars.

Though the Great Salt Lake is a dead sea - drying up even more this year from years of drought - it's far from dead. On the northern arm of the lake microbiologists from Westminster College in Salt Lake have been taking samples of water.

With levels now at a 30-year low, the salt in portions of the shrinking lake has reached saturation levels ten times the salinity of seawater. Westminster, the University of Maryland and George Mason University are not only finding life where life shouldn't exist, but life, perhaps like nothing of this earth. Instead of the rods, spheres and spiral shapes microbiologists are familiar with, they're seeing organisms shaped like pyramids, triangles, squares and crescents. [continued]

http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=97513
 
Biology news on Phys.org
I wish that came with a picture of the organisms
 
Classified I bet..

The pictures might be classified until more information on the organisms is found. Or maybe they only saw the organisms and haven't taken pictures yet. Some fish are know to be photo-sensitive, which causes problems to when they are exposed to camera flashes or light in general.
 
The Great Salt Lake is truly a phenomenon. Visually it is like no other place the variety and beauty of moods and so forth makes it a photographer's treasure trove. Here is a link to that research. There are some pics, but I bet if you emailed there they would let you look.

http://people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/bbaxter/FrameSet.htm
 

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