Scientists say the study of a rather volatile lake on the floor in the Gulf of Mexico, dubbed the ‘Jacuzzi of Despair’ due to the number of aquatic lives it has claimed, could inform searches for life on other planets.
The body of water was located not long ago and explored via an underwater vehicle. That research has been published in ‘Oceanography.’
The lake is described as being rife with toxins like methane and hydrogen sulfide. It likely formed as water seeped into cracks on the ocean floor, became mixed with salt, and was then forced back upwards by gasses and oil.
Due to its density, the liquid remains separate and low lying. While most creatures that venture near or in the body perish, some have shown great adaptive abilities.
Said one of the researchers, “There’s a lot of people looking at these extreme habitats on Earth as models for what we might discover when we go to other planets.”
