Bacalar: 7 Colors and Stromatolites, Too

Which lagoon in Mexico is home to one of the planet’s rarest living ecosystems?

Famous for its brilliant “Seven Colors” of blue, Lake Bacalar is home to living stromatolites – rare microbial formations built by cyanobacteria. Stromatolites as a life form date back around 3.5 billion years, making them some of the oldest known evidence of life on Earth, predating humans, dinosaurs, and even plants.

Stromatolites now exist in only a handful of places worldwide. These rare formations preserve ancient environmental history and help remove carbon from the atmosphere – much like trees do on land.

But they’re fragile. Tourism, pollution, sunscreen, and physical contact with the formations can permanently damage the organisms.

See these ancient living formations for yourself.

 

 

 

— from Expat Insider Mexico