An Inordinate Fondness For Stars And Beetles

wnycradiolab:

watershedplus:

Found in San Francisco Bay, these salt evaporation ponds are shallow artificial ponds designed to produce salt from sea water and other brines. Water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows salt to be harvested. The bright colours of the ponds, ranging from bright green to magenta, are a result of microorganisms that thrive as the salinity levels increase.

Read more at amusingplanet.com via Ice Water blog

Gorgeous.  Landscapes like these are the best part of air travel.

The cool thing is, these salt ponds are no longer in use, and rather than just bulldoze the dikes and let the sea back in, they are being actively managed by regulating the depth and salinity of each pond to attract specific bird species, including making the same pond serve as habitats for different species at different times of the year!

(via graflex)