2009-10_31_BOS-SFO_398z
These are salt evaporation ponds on the south shore of San Francisco Bay, filled with slowly evaporating salt water impounded within levees in former tidelands. There are many of these ponds surrounding the Bay, mostly south of the San Mateo Bridge, and best viewed from altitutde.
These ponds are filled with sea water at different times, and display different colors as the water slowly evaporate,s leaving at the end a field of white sea salt. That's when it's ready for harvesting.
Along the way, microscopic life forms of different kinds and colors predominate in series as the water evaporates. First comes green algae. Next brine shrimp predominate, turning the pond orange. Next, dunaliella salina, a micro-algae containing high amounts of beta-carotene (itself with high commercial value), predominates, turning the water red. Other organisms can also change the hue of each pond. The full range of colors include red, green, orange and yellow, brown, blue, and finally white.
2009-10_31_BOS-SFO_398z
These are salt evaporation ponds on the south shore of San Francisco Bay, filled with slowly evaporating salt water impounded within levees in former tidelands. There are many of these ponds surrounding the Bay, mostly south of the San Mateo Bridge, and best viewed from altitutde.
These ponds are filled with sea water at different times, and display different colors as the water slowly evaporate,s leaving at the end a field of white sea salt. That's when it's ready for harvesting.
Along the way, microscopic life forms of different kinds and colors predominate in series as the water evaporates. First comes green algae. Next brine shrimp predominate, turning the pond orange. Next, dunaliella salina, a micro-algae containing high amounts of beta-carotene (itself with high commercial value), predominates, turning the water red. Other organisms can also change the hue of each pond. The full range of colors include red, green, orange and yellow, brown, blue, and finally white.