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Stromatolites


Stromatolites
Photo Information
Copyright: Thomas Sautter (mjdundee) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 76 W: 0 N: 287] (1207)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1992-10
Categories: Seascape
Camera: Minolta X-700, Minolta 50mm 1:1,4
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-12-06 4:13
Viewed: 2102
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Occur in the vicinity of Hamelin Pool. These stromatolites are the earth's oldest living fossils and flourish in the warm shallow water of Hamelin Pool. A high evaporation rate causes extreme salinity in which the algae grows and is protected from predators. There is a stromatolite interpretive centre at Hamelin Telegraph Station. Stromatolites are supposed to be the first living creatures due to their capability to do the photosyntheses and grow.
The stromatolites are one of the most important features of the Shark Bay World Heritage area. They look like rocky lumps strewn around the beach but are actually built by living organisms too small for the human eye to see. Within the structures are communities of diverse inhabitants with population densities of 3000 million individuals per square metre! The organisms use sediment and organic material to build stromatolites up to 1.5 metres high - up to 10 million times their size. Because they grow very slowly, a metre-high stromatolite could be about 2000 years old.

When the Shark Bay stromatolites were discovered by scientists in 1956, they were the first growing examples ever recorded of structures, found fossilised in very old rocks, that had puzzled geologists for more than a century. The living microbes that built the stromatolites are similar to those found in 3500 million year old rocks, which are the earliest record of life on Earth

Source: own & CALM
cedryk, pablominto, dew77, manyee, Toni, lovenature has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Thomas,
Great shot of this amazing ancient structures. It's amazing that we may breathe the oxygen thanks to their work hundreds millions years ago. These are the structures that changed our planet, more than we could do :-)
Best greetings,
Michal

Hello Thomas,
This is totally amazing! Never seen anything like it... and they make a beautiful picture too! Good composition and interesting POV
Regards,
Pablo -

Hi Thomas!
It's ABOSLUTELY amazing place. I miss hollidays!

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-12-06 10:08]

Hello Thomas!
Very nice capture.POV,large DOF,perspective,colors and composition are wonderful.Very well done!TFS..:-)

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  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3067 W: 231 N: 6167] (21074)
  • [2005-12-06 10:57]

Fascinating shot and notes, Thomas. I certainly learned something today. Thanks for the beautiful photo of these very unusual subjects. : )

  • Great 
  • Toni Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 403 W: 2 N: 316] (2034)
  • [2005-12-21 12:46]

Hi Thomas
It's hard to get overexited when you actually see the stromatolites and it wasn't to easy to understand how they are living despite the interpretive centre - your note is simpler. Anyway you captured them well. It's good how you kept little sky.
Regards Toni

Hi Thomas,
Stratomatolites are so interesting, I love your notes. We have fossilized stromatolites here in Alberta, I have photos from Waterton Lakes National Park on the very S.W. corner of our province.

It's amazing to see that stromatolites are still living today. I thought I read somewhere that stromatolites helped to put oxygen into our atmosphere, and that's why we have plants, animals and oh yah....humans on our earth today. Thanks for Sharing. Janice

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