The square halophilic archaeon Haloquadratum walsbyi was first discovered by A.E. Walsby in 1980. First found in water from a salt pool near the Red Sea, Haloquadratum walsbyi was soon found in many salt lakes around the world, making it an archaeon of specific interest because of this abundance in hypersaline ecosystems, which suggests that it plays an important ecological role. It was first cultured sucessfully in 2004 and is now known to be widespread where salt water is evaporating.
Past Environments:
Examination of halite cores from Saline Valley, CA, representing salt deposited up to 150 thousand years ago, showed remnants of algae within fluid inclusions entrapped in the salt crystals.
Present Day Environment:
Halophiles are found in environments where the salt concentration is extremely high. Such as, the Dead Sea in the Middle East, The Great Salt Lake in the USA and evaporating ponds of saline waters. The saline content in Halophilic environments is usually 10 times the saline/salt content of normal ocean water.
The environment of the present day Halophile is thought to be similar to that of it's past environments. Haloquadratum walsbyi is a fairly resent discovery, only first found in 1980, and not much information is known about it. What is known, it that once taken from it's high concentration of salt environment, it is incredibly hard to cultivate, telling scientists that it was probably previously living in similar high-salt concentrations.
Past Environments:
Examination of halite cores from Saline Valley, CA, representing salt deposited up to 150 thousand years ago, showed remnants of algae within fluid inclusions entrapped in the salt crystals.
Present Day Environment:
Halophiles are found in environments where the salt concentration is extremely high. Such as, the Dead Sea in the Middle East, The Great Salt Lake in the USA and evaporating ponds of saline waters. The saline content in Halophilic environments is usually 10 times the saline/salt content of normal ocean water.
The environment of the present day Halophile is thought to be similar to that of it's past environments. Haloquadratum walsbyi is a fairly resent discovery, only first found in 1980, and not much information is known about it. What is known, it that once taken from it's high concentration of salt environment, it is incredibly hard to cultivate, telling scientists that it was probably previously living in similar high-salt concentrations.