Pink Lake, Meromictic lake in Gatineau Park, Canada
Pink Lake is a meromictic lake in Gatineau Park with two distinct water layers that never mix. The upper layer contains oxygen while the lower seven meters remain completely depleted of it.
The lake formed roughly 9000 years ago from a pothole originally filled with seawater following glacial retreat. Isostatic rebound then raised the earth's crust, fundamentally changing the water composition.
The lake takes its name from the Pink family, who settled with a farm near this water body around 1826. Most visitors expect the name to come from the water's appearance, making this history a surprising discovery during a visit.
Visitors must stay on designated wooden boardwalks surrounding the lake to protect its fragile systems. Swimming, bringing pets, and throwing objects in the water are not permitted on the site.
The bottom layer contains specialized bacteria that perform photosynthesis using sulfur instead of oxygen, creating a rare ecology. This unusual microbial system thrives in conditions that would be hostile to most life forms.
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