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  • Presentation | H13X: Remote Sensing of Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs, and Wetlands III Poster
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  • H13X-1414: Remote Sensing of Carotenoid Pigments in Transient Hypersaline Lakes in Western Australia as an Indicator of Environmental Change Through Time
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  • Board 1414‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)
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Author(s):
Taylor Plattner, Georgia Institute of Technology (First Author, Presenting Author)
Britney Schmidt, Cornell University
Priscila Lange, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Oceânicas (INPO)
Sanjoy Som, Blue Marble Space Institute of Science
Benjamin Klempay, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Emily Paris, Stanford University
Margaret Weng, Georgetown University
Jeff Bowman, University of California, San Diego
Nicole M Fernandez, Cornell University
Emilie Skoog, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Hunter Jamison, Cornell University
Ellery Ingall, Georgia Institute of Technology
Peter Doran, Louisiana State University
Margaret Birmingham, University of Kansas
Jessica Weber, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Amina Schartup, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Steffen Buessecker, Stanford University
Enrica Quartini, Cornell University
Luke Fisher, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Cathryn Sephus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Chad Pozarycki, Georgia Institute of Technology
Arthur Odenheimer, University of California Los Angeles
Martin Towner, Curtin University


Pink Lake and Lake Warden are salt-rich lakes near Esperance, Western Australia, known for their changing colors—especially their striking pink hues. These color changes are caused by salt levels and special microbes that live in extreme conditions. Some of these microbes, like Dunaliella salina and Haloarchaea, produce red and orange pigments when stressed by salty water. These pigments are what give the lakes their pink color.


Historically, Pink Lake was famous for its bright pink color, but that has faded over time due to human activities like salt harvesting. Meanwhile, Lake Warden has started to turn pink more regularly, especially during the summer, as salt builds up.


These lakes are part of the Kepwari Lake System on the traditional lands of the Wudjari people, and the Oceans Across Space and Time project is working with the local Aboriginal community (ETNTAC) to study and help protect them.


Our research uses satellite imagery from space to track how lake color and chemistry change over time. By using sensors that detect color changes linked to microbial pigments, we can monitor environmental changes in the lakes. This approach supports efforts to understand, restore, and care for these important and sensitive ecosystems.




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