Found at significant depths within the sea inlet that’s part of the Indian Ocean, these holes drop below the seabed and contain no oxygen at all, with extraordinarily high salinity levels, making it impossible for most life forms to exist.
The brine pools can kill (Ocean X/YouTube)
Why is this alarming? Because opportunistic predators lurk in these pools, ready to snatch up any unfortunate creatures that pass by.
Professor Sam Purkis, chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences at the University of Miami, stated that fish that accidentally swim into the brine pools are ‘immediately stunned or killed,’ and predators linger near the edges to ‘feast on the unlucky ones.’
However, these chilling and enigmatic trenches also hold crucial insights into the origins of life on Earth.
Purkis remarked: “Our current understanding suggests life began on Earth in the deep sea, likely in anoxic – oxygen-free – environments.
“Studying these communities provides insight into the conditions where life first emerged on our planet and could assist in the search for existence on other ‘water worlds’ in our solar system and beyond.”
Thus, uncovering these pools will facilitate advancements in space exploration.
Moreover, the scarcity of living organisms in these brine pits offers a unique glimpse into our planet’s distant past.
He added: “Typically, these animals stir or disturb the seabed, altering the accumulating sediments. In the case of brine pools, any sediment that settles remains remarkably undisturbed.”
We can expect to hear much more about these death pools in the future, and as long as I’m not the one exploring them—bring it on, nature!
