Organic Lake

Organic Lake is a lake in the Vestfold Hills in eastern Antarctica. It was formed 6,000 years ago when sea levels were higher; it is isolated, rather shallow (7.5m), meromictic, a few hundred meters in diameter and has extremely salty water. It has the highest recorded concentration of dimethyl sulfide in any natural body of water.^[1][2]

In 2011, a new species of virophage (a virus that preys on other viruses) was discovered in Organic Lake. It was named Organic Lake Virophage. It is a parasite of a phycodnavirus, a large virus that infects algae and belongs to the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "'Virus-eater' discovered in Antarctic lake". Nature News. 28 March 2011. http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110328/full/news.2011.188.html. 
2. ^ Franzmann, PD; PP Deprez, HR Burton, J van den Hoff (1987-01-01). "Limnology of Organic Lake, Antarctica, a meromictic lake that contains high concentrations of dimethyl sulfide". Mar. Freshwater Res. 38 (3): 409–417. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF9870409. 

Coordinates: 68°27′23″S 78°11′23.5″E / 68.45639°S 78.189861°E / -68.45639; 78.189861