Explained: ‘Deathpools’ at bottom of the Red Sea that kill anything that swims into them

 Scientists have discovered deadly pools at the bottom of the Red Sea which kill any unfortunate creature that swims into it. As per Live Science, scientists using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) found the pools (1.77 kilometres) beneath the surface of the Red Sea. The largest pool measured  107,000 square feet (10,000 square meters) in diameter, while three smaller pools measured less than 107 square feet (10 square meters) in diameter. Scientists, detailing their findings online June 27 in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, named the pools the NEOM Brine Pools after the Saudi development company that funded the research, as per the report. Let’s take a closer look: What is a brine pool? As per NDTV, scientists said a brine pool is a depression in the seafloor filled with highly concentrated salt water (saltier than the surrounding ocean) and other chemical elements.

These underwater pools can kill anything that swims into it and even pickle it alive.  

According to the Live Science report, these pools are believed to have developed from dissolving pockets of minerals deposited during the Miocene epoch (about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago) when the sea level in the region was lower than it is today. How many are there? As per New York Post, over the past 30 years, oceanographers have been able to uncover only a “few dozen” of the deadly pools in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The Red Sea possesses the highest known number of deep-sea brine pools. How was this found? The researchers discovered the pools during a 2020 expedition onboard the  marine exploration organization OceanX’s research vessel OceanXplorer, as per Live Science. The expedition investigated the Red Sea coastline of Saudi Arabia, “an area which has so far received little attention,” lead researcher Sam Purkis said. Scientists uncovered these deadly pools during the last five minutes of a ten-hour dive, as per NDTV. ‘Among most extreme environments on earth’ Purkis told Live Science the deadly pools are “among the most extreme environments on earth.”

“Any animal that strays into the brine is immediately stunned or killed,” Purkis added.  

As per Dailystar UK, researchers once found intact soft tissue of a crab that had been dead for eight years inside a brine pool. Fish, shrimp and eels appear to use the brine to hunt, Purkis added, explaining that these creatures lurk near the deadly pool to “feed on the unlucky” creatures that inadvertently swim into it. As per CNBC, Purkis said the discovery of such pools could help scientists work out how the oceans first formed on our planet. He said brine pools are home to a large number of microbes and are rich in biodiversity. These microbes can survive in such harsh environments and studying them can help scientists understand the limits of life on earth. He added that these discoveries are essential as they can help determine if alien planets with similar hostile conditions can host any living beings, as per the report. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.