halophilic habitats

Halophilic Habitats
Zuni Salt Lake in New Mexico is an example of what is know as a Maar. A Maar is a lake formed by some sort of volcanic activity. This lake is a flat saline/salt lake that formed across the crater of an inactive volcano. It is about 6,500 feet across and 400 feet deep.	The Great Salt Lake is the saltiest body of water that is inside a land mass in the Western Hemisphere. Rivers like the Bear, Weber, and Jordon all flow into the Great Salt Lake, but there is no way for the water from these rivers to flow out of the Salt Lake. Water collects until it overflows its banks. You can see the whitish areas that have flooded in the past.
	The Dead Sea is formed across the Aribian Peninsula along a fault line. The water gathers in the lowest part of the fault line area and forms the Dead Sea. The saline/salt content of the Dead Sea makes it impossible for most organisms to live there. Only salt loving organisms like the halophile can survive in environments that have high saline/salt content.