{"id":8170,"date":"2023-11-17T10:25:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T09:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/?p=8170"},"modified":"2023-11-17T10:25:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T09:25:12","slug":"what-lives-in-lake-baikal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/what-lives-in-lake-baikal\/","title":{"rendered":"What Lives In Lake Baikal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lake Baikal, located in Siberia, is both the world’s oldest and deepest lake, containing more fresh water than the North American lakes combined. It is home to two thousand five hundred interesting and unique species of plants and animals, and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the lake’s great diversity, it has long been considered an important center of biological and ecological research. Since its first discovery, hundreds of scientific teams and universities around the world have been fascinated by the lake and its inhabitants.<\/p>\n

This fascinating lake is the largest home to some of the world’s rarest organisms. The Baikal Seal, known as the “nerpa,” is a freshwater seal endemic to Lake Baikal. There are around 80,000 of them in the lake. The Baikal oilfish, with its bony plates and bright yellow color, is also listed as a critically endangered species. The Baikal oilfish is the lake’s second largest predator and is highly desired for its delicious taste. Other water creatures in Lake Baikal include four species of goby and three species of sculpins, which are considered the lake’s main predators.<\/p>\n

Baikal’s unique environment has enabled a wide variety of plants to thrive in its deep, clear waters. Perhaps the most famous of these is the spongy species of comb jelly, known as the nerpa-molzavod. This jellyfish is not only an important food source for the seals, but also an important part of the food chain in Lake Baikal. Other plant species include a variety of algae, mosses, and freshwater sponges. These plants serve as an important source of food for the local wildlife, and they also help to keep the lake’s water clean and clear.<\/p>\n

In addition to the unique plants and animals in Lake Baikal, there are also a number of archaeological sites located on its shores. These sites provide evidence of the lake’s long and colorful history, stretching back to prehistoric times. Ancient tools, pottery, and artwork have been found in some of these sites, which date back to the Paleolithic period. This evidence has allowed researchers to piece together the lake’s vast and fascinating past, which has in turn helped to shape our understanding of the lake today.<\/p>\n