Aral Sea Salt Or Freshwater. The Aral Sea or what is left of it as seen from above. The remaining small area is heavily polluted.
Located it central Asia it includes a unique combination of freshwater and saltwater assemblages of free-living and benthic aquatic biota as well as associated wetland vegetation and bird assemblages Aladin and Potts 1992. 1 The Aral Sea was once the worlds fourth-largest lake but an irrigation project drained nearly all the water. Two of Central Asias biggest rivers the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya flowed into the Sea.
Animated map of the shrinking of the Aral Sea.
Highly developed benthic organisms and overwater vegetation at the mouths of rivers were consuming most of the substances blocking the nutritive salt input to the sea. 1 The Aral Sea was once the worlds fourth-largest lake but an irrigation project drained nearly all the water. The Aral Sea or what is left of it as seen from above. 3 A dam has increased water levels in a small part of the lake called the North Aral.
