Deep-sea brine pools are one of the most deadly environments on Earth. They are anoxic and will pickle creatures that unfortunately swim in it too long, but life still finds a way to thrive along their edges.

OceanX has studied several brine pools and discovered the first brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea. By studying these pools and the creatures that can live in these extreme environments, we may get insight into how life began on our planet and how it may begin on others.

Finding a deep-sea brine pool isn't easy, as they have only been found in three locations in the whole world - the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red sea. This excludes polar brines, which are also difficult to study as they underneath polar sea ice.

Brine pools seem otherworldly, with brine so dense that our ROV can rest on top of it without sinking. And the creatures floating in it do not decompose - they remain preserved as the brine essentially “pickles” them.