Brine shrimp in the Atacama desert is the main food source of the flamingos in the Los Flamencos National Reserve salt flat and lagoon. It is able to withstand high amounts of salt, high temperatures, and low concentration of oxygen.
Many migratory birds, especially flamingos eat the brine shrimp. The brine shrimp have a special pigment called “beta-carotene” that gives the flamingos their pink color. The shrimp are also high in protein which provide birds the necessary energy for long migration.
Over the years, brine shrimp have adapted their reproductive cycle to be able to survive in drought conditions. When the salinity of the lagoon increases, leading to greater evaporation with the water tending to dry out, brine shrimp produce eggs called “cysts” and has a coating that is resistant to extreme conditions. The eggs are capable of surviving for decades in the dried-up surfaces. This also happens when the brine shrimp is waiting for an improvement in the biological or physical chemical conditions of the water.
If you ever go to the Los Flamencos National Reserve, be sure to take a peek into the little pools of water or the lagoon and see if you can spot some brine shrimp in the Atacama desert yourself!!
Los Flamencos National Reserve
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