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A “Beach” in the Mediterranean

During a 2011 Dive & Discover cruise in the Mediterranean, scientists from WHOI and other institutions explored three super-salty “lakes” called DHABs at the bottom of the sea. They used the remotely operated vehicle Jason to get the first clear look at the features and bring back sediment samples. In this image from one of Jason‘s dives, the vehicle is just above the border between the normal seafloor (left) and murky black water that appeared to be the DHAB (right). Sediments collected from the beach-like white strip of two of the basins were covered with mats of bacteria that could provide rich grazing opportunities for microorganisms.

(Photo courtesy of ROV Jason team, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)