In the Mykolaiv region, Solonets-Tuzly Lake is drying up: the heat exposes snow-white and, in places, pink carpets of salt

Due to prolonged heat and drought, Lake Solonets-Tuzly is shrinking on the territory of the national nature park «Biloberezhzhia Sviatoslav» in Mykolaiv Oblast, according to the institution’s official Facebook page.

According to the park, the retreat of the water exposes white naturally precipitated salt, and in places the surface takes on a delicate pink hue due to the presence of the microalga Dunaliella salina and the brine shrimp Artemia salina.

The institution emphasizes that the recorded changes simultaneously point to the uniqueness of the local natural complexes and stress the need to preserve them.

Staff of the Pokrovsko-Khutorsky Nature Protection Research Department continue daily patrols, monitor the fire situation, enforce the environmental protection regime and control the sanitary condition of protected-area territories.

During inspections, specialists noted the presence of pink pelicans, gannets, gulls, long-legged waders, terns, hobby and the marsh harrier, and also recorded traces of jackals, wild boar, roe deer and fox.

The published photos show the current appearance of the waterbody and the shoreline, where salt crystals and characteristic pink patches emerge.

The report also notes that monitoring of the lake and surrounding ecosystems continues in order to respond promptly to possible risks to the park’s nature.

Earlier we reported:

• Heat up to +38°C will hit Mykolaiv Oblast on August 1–4: risks for energy, transport and municipal services
• Ukraine will warm up to +38°C: where the heat will be most dangerous and what awaits Mykolaiv
• No popcorn, no oil: drought in Mykolaiv Oblast destroyed corn and reached sunflower fields
• Drought in Mykolaiv: where the locusts are flying when there is no harvest?
• Minister of Economy in Mykolaiv: drought is destroying crops, farmers – on the brink of bankruptcy