the amount of it that can stay dissolved in the water) is greater at higher pH. Still confused? Here’s a quick chemistry refresher. The characteristic warm temperatures and abundance of direct sunlight in this shallow lake may make sense at first glance, but what about that awful pH? Haven’t we been taught that life prefers a pH closer to 7? Well, not necessarily if you are a cyanobacterium that feeds on carbon dioxide. These salt-loving superphotosynthesizers also transfer their color to the millions of lesser flamingoes that feed on them and use the lake as their nesting ground.Īs it turns out, the conditions in Lake Natron make it one of the most productive environments, photosynthetically speaking. The predominant strains include species of Spirulina, Cyanospira, Synechococcus and Chroococcus. At the producer trophic level, it supports several different species of cyanobacteria that give the lake its red color. While shallow Lake Natron is an extreme environment with a pH greater than 10 and water temperatures of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it supports a thriving ecosystem. Source Credit: allafrica.Satellite imagery of Lake Natron with features labelled. It is also used in the textile industry for dyeing cotton and other fibers. Sodium carbonate, the chemical name for soda ash, is a key ingredient in the creation of glass, detergents, and other industrial chemicals. The Lake’s natural deposit would be utilized to produce sodium bicarbonate, which is used in a variety of industrial applications. Infrastructure for the plant’s new soda ash factory would include a new road and rail network. Tata Chemicals Ltd proposed a $450 million industrial plant in partnership with the Tanzanian government to recover soda from Natron Lake in Tanzania. A soda ash facility near Lake Natron would have a significant impact on the livelihoods of the local community, which makes an annual revenue of half a million dollars. The Natron Lake in Tanzania is a major and regular breeding ground for world’s Lesser Flamingos birds.įlamingos bring in money for Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Kenya via tourism. Also Read: Lake Malawi the ‘Lake of Stars’, A UNESCO World Heritage Centre Despite the fact that most human communities have grown up around rivers and lakes throughout history, Natron Lake in Tanzania tells a story of a location no one ever desired to call their own.

Lake natron animals turn to stone