Bleeding Ink Lagoon 'resurrects' harsh desert environment: captured from space

09 January 2025, 02:39 | Technologies
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The salty tidal lagoon extends approximately 27 kilometers at its widest point and is located along the Makran coast in Pakistan's Buluchistan province, approximately 290 kilometers west of Karachi.. This area is cut off from the rest of the mainland by the rugged desert mountains, the Makran Range, which run parallel to much of the country's coastline, Live Science writes..

In 2014, a satellite imaged the tidal lagoon of Kalmat Khor in Pakistan, full of water and located in the heart of a harsh desert. The researchers note that the Makran mountain range appears dark orange in the satellite image, and the reservoir that feeds the desert resembles “ink flowing on parchment.”. It is this "

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Kalmat Khor is a tidal lagoon that is fully formed only at high tide, when waters from the Arabian Sea flow through a narrow channel cut into the shoreline. At low tide, the reservoir is almost completely empty, leaving behind only open mudflats.. According to the US Geological Survey, their experts processed the image to make the water darker and brighter than ink..

The areas surrounding the tidal lagoon, including the Makran Range, are known to be arid desert lands that receive minimal rainfall. At the same time, the constant flow of water into the lagoon actually allows the complex system to be maintained despite the harsh surrounding conditions.

Scientists have discovered that the lagoon is home to extensive mangrove forests, which appear as bright green patches along the water's edge in satellite imagery.. These forests are important habitats for juvenile fish, as well as other marine organisms such as crustaceans and molluscs. But that's not all, they are also a source of wood for the few local people living along the lagoon.

At low tide, the mudflats become a hunting ground for shorebirds, which search the open bottom of the lagoon for insects and small fish.. Most of these birds live in the Buzi Makola Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located west of the lagoon pictured.



Observations show that the lagoon has come under increasing stress over the past few decades due to overfishing, mangrove deforestation, and a warming planet caused by human-caused climate change.. As a result, fisheries and mangrove resources are experiencing difficult times, which leads to degradation.

The researchers also note that the current state of the ecosystem is unknown due to the lack of a recent assessment. However, even if the system managed to recover, scientists believe that it may soon be under threat again.

Previously, Focus wrote that the Sahara turns from a sandy desert into a green forest every 21,000 years.

Based on materials: livescience.com



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