Locals have documented that a pond in the Dead Sea in Jordan has turned pink, which has raised questions about the reason for this over the past few days.
Pictures and videos showed the small pool that was covered in pink, according to what the cameras spotted last Saturday morning, while the water is in its natural form without this color a few meters away.
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According to what was reported by Jordan TV, spokesman for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Omar Salama, the ministry will send a technical team to take samples from that pond to determine the reasons for the color change.
He explained that this phenomenon usually occurs in this period of the year due to high temperatures, especially if the water is very saline and mixed with fresh water, pointing out at the same time that this area is separate from the Dead Sea.
In this context, academic geology professor Ahmed Al-Malabeh believes - in a post on Facebook - that the appearance of the pink color is due to the colored secretions of bacteria and algae that prefer the salty environment.
He explained, "The reason may be the algae 'Dunaliella salina', which activates with high water temperature and salinity, and secretes a pink substance that causes water coloration, a phenomenon prevalent in the Sultanate of Oman, China, Ukraine and Senegal."
"Donaliella salina has a unique economic value in food, medicine, health, chemical and aquaculture. This algae has achieved industrial production in countries such as Australia and the United States," he concluded.