‘Pink lake’ in Central Anatolian province turns brown
KONYA
One of the two “pink lakes” of the country, located in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, has turned brown this year, causing fear and concerns among locals.
Konya’s Lake Küçük (Small) turns pink at the end of every spring due to the production of bacteria named “artemia salina.”
However, the color of the lake changed early this year, not to pink but brown this time.
“This color change is seasonal,” said Cengiz Akköz, a professor from Selçuk University. “These bacterias are nodularias from the nostocales species family. Once the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus increase in the water, these nodularias reproduce.”
According to the expert, this mass reproduction causes a layer on the surface water, changing the color.
Akköz hinted that the lake would get its pink color back sometime later.
The other “pink lake” in the coıuntry is located in the Dalyan village of the northwestern province of Çanakkale. Due to its shape of heart, it is called by locals as “Lake Heart.”
Around 10 “pink lakes” across the globe exists, with the Lake Hillier in Australia best known for its 250-meter-width and 600-meter-depth.
