Halophiles
Extreme halophiles live in highly saline environments, such as the Great Salt Lake, the Dead Sea, and Owens Lake. Some species merely tolerate salinity, while others require an environment that is several times saltier than seawater (which has a salinity of 3.5%). The proteins and cell wall of Halobacterium have unusual features that improve function in extremely salty environments but render these organisms incapable of survival if the salinity drops below 9%. n