MEET THE MICROENVIRONMENTS
Islands, rivers and man-made structures define several diverse
microenvironments around the lake. The lake's microenvironments
differ in many ways, including salinity (salt concentration),
temperature and pollution levels. All of these factors determine
which organisms survive and thrive in each location. The lake is
also surrounded by wetlands and evaporation ponds, which have
their own special characteristics and inhabitants.
One of the lake's most dominant features is the railroad causeway
that runs from east to west across its middle. Built in 1959, the
causeway blocks most water flow between the north and south
arms of the lake. The three main rivers that supply fresh water to
Great Salt Lake flow into the south arm, leaving the north arm
much more saline. Only the most resilient microbes can live in the
extreme salt conditions of north arm. These "extremophiles" give
the water a distinct purplish to pinkish color. The south arm, with
its lower salinity, supports a greener population of microbes.
Click around on the image to the right to explore seven of the
lake's unique microenvironments: Gilbert Bay, Gunnison Bay,
Farmington Bay, Bear River Bay, Ogden Bay, evaporation ponds,
and wetlands.
Image courtesy NASA/Visible Earth
References
Gwynn, J. W. (Ed.) (2002). Great Salt Lake, an Overview of Change: A Special Publication of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Salt Lake City: Department of Natural Resources.