832-389988 - Two Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) standing on the salt pan in Etosha National Park, Namibia, Africa

832-388571 - Coastal road through sand dunes, Parque Natural de Corralejo, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain, Europe

832-388527 - Afar shepherd leads a dromedary caravan loaded with rock salt plates (halite) across the Lake Assale (Lake Assale), Danakil Depression, Afar Region, Ethiopia, Africa

832-388127 - Dried clay soil in Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, Africa

832-388528 - Sunrise over the Assale Salt Lake, Hamadela, Danakil Depression Afar Dreick, Ethiopia, Africa

832-388499 - Meerkat (Suricata suricatta), standing in the grass savannah and staring watchfully into the distance, Makgadikgadi salt pans, Botswana, Africa

832-388131 - Dead camelthorn trees (Acacia erioloba) in Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, Africa

832-388071 - Salt plain, sign Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA, North America

832-388067 - Desert, Historic Borax Mine, 20 mule team car, Harmony Borax Works, Death Valley National Park, California, USA, North America

832-387790 - Erupting Pohutu Geyser with rainbow, sinter terraces, Te Puia, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, Oceania

832-384731 - Geothermal area with sulphur deposits and acidic salt lakes, Dallol, Danakil Valley, Ethiopia, Africa

832-383915 - Jingzijiao saline, Yunjia South Binhai National Scenic Area, Tainan County, Taiwan, Asia

832-384724 - Windsock at Bitterwasser Airfield on the edge of the Kalahari, Namibia, Africa

832-383842 - Salt mining at the salt lake Salar de Uyuni, Altiplano, Bolivia, South America

832-384333 - Sinter terraces, hot springs, orange mineral deposits, Palette Springs, Upper Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, North America

832-384323 - Detail photo, hot spring with orange mineral deposits and algae, Palette Springs, Upper Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, North America

832-384326 - Sinter terraces with calcareous tuff deposits, hot springs, colorful mineral deposits, Palette Springs, Lower Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, North America

832-384732 - Geothermal area, salt crystals with sulphur deposits, Dallol, Danakil valley, Ethiopia, Africa

832-384325 - Dead trees on sinter terraces, hot springs, orange mineral deposits, Palette Springs, Upper Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, North America

832-383839 - Salt crust, Salar de Uyuni, Altiplano, Bolivia, South America

832-384615 - Laguna Verde with deposits of borax, 4.340 m altitude, Altiplano, Andes, Departamento Potosi, Bolivia, South America

832-384324 - Sinter terraces with calcareous tuff deposits, hot springs, colorful mineral deposits, Palette Springs, Lower Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, North America

832-384730 - Geothermal area with sulphur deposits and acidic salt lakes, Dallol, Danakil Valley, Ethiopia, Africa

1245-1935 - Crystal Caves, North Side, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean, Central America

860-288538 - Roughtail Stringray (Dasyatis centroura),Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Atlantic Ocean

860-288537 - Roughtail Stringray (Dasyatis centroura),Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Atlantic Ocean

860-288535 - Violet Sea Urchin (Sphaerechinus granularis), Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Atlantic Ocean

860-287450 - Tara Oceans Expeditions - May 2011. Tara with deployed plancton nets. On "station", the boat is drifting without engine or sails. Tara Oceans, a unique expedition: Tara Oceans is the very first attempt to make a global study of marine plankton, a form of sea life that includes organisms as small as viruses and bacterias, and as big as medusas. Our goal is to better understand planktonic ecosystems by exploring the countless species, learning about interactions among them and with their environment. Marine plankton is the only ecosystem that is almost continuous over the surface of the Earth. Studying plankton is like taking the pulse of our planet. Recently, scientists have discovered the great importance of plankton for the climate: populations of plankton are affected very rapidly by variations in climate. But in turn they can influence the climate by modifying the absorption of carbon. In a context of rapid physico-chemical changes, for example the acidification observed today in the world's oceans, it is urgent to understand and predict the evolution of these particular ecosystems. Finally, plankton is an astonishing way of going back in time ? a prime source of fossils. Over the eons, plankton has created several hundred meters of sediment on the ocean floors. This allows us to go back in time, to the first oceans on Earth, and better understand the history of our biosphere. More than 12 fields of research are involved in the project, which will bring together an international team of oceanographers, ecologists, biologists, geneticists, and physicists from prestigious laboratories headed by Eric Karsenti of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Galapagos

860-287085 - Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), steal the fish from the diver, Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287084 - Scuba diver hunting the Invasive lionfish, alien species (Pterois volitans) caught to feed the crocodiles, Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287089 - American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287086 - Free diver taking pictures of an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287083 - Scuba diver hunting the Invasive lionfish, alien species (Pterois volitans) caught to feed the crocodiles, Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287088 - Free diver taking pictures of an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

860-287087 - American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Chinchorro Banks (Biosphere Reserve), Quintana Roo, Mexico

1116-42227 - Morning Glory Pool, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States Of America

826-718 - Aerial view of lakes and an esker, a ridge formed by sediment deposited during the last Ice Age, in northern Manitoba, Canada, North America

826-717 - Aerial photography of an esker, a sandy ridge formed by subglacial deposits of sediment in the last Ice Age, in Manitoba, Canada, North America

832-383463 - Salt basin in the disused saline, Sal Rei, Boa Vista, Cape Verde, Africa

832-383022 - Laguna Baltinache at sunset, Salar de Atacama, Antofagasta Region, Chile, South America

832-383221 - Travertine terrace formations, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Aegean Region, Turkey, Asia

832-383116 - Dasht-e Kavir or Great Salt Desert, Marenjab, Maranjab, Semnan Province, Iran, Asia

832-383224 - View over the Laguna Baltinache towards the Volcano Licancabur at sunset, Salar de Atacama, Antofagasta Region, Chile, South America

832-383149 - Tent in Dasht-e Kavir or Great Salt Desert, Marenjab, Maranjab, Semnan Province, Iran, Asia

832-383052 - Child playing with a wooden board, Salinas de Maras salt pans, created by the Incas and still in operation, Pichingote, Cusco region, Andes, Peru, South America

832-382999 - Locals piling up salt with a wooden board, Salinas de Maras salt pans, created by the Incas and still in operation, Pichingote, Cusco region, Andes, Peru, South America

832-382569 - Morning light, first sunlight, Salar de Uyuni, Salt Lake, Altiplano, Bolivia, South America

832-382570 - Morning light, Salar de Uyuni, Salt Lake, Altiplano, Bolivia, South America

832-382612 - Lime terraces with lakes, Huanglong National Park, Sichuan Province, China, Asia

832-382867 - Shkopet Reservoir, Liqeni i Shkopetit, Mat River, Ulez, Qarra Dibra, Albania, Europe

832-381817 - Nature photographers in Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia, Africa

832-381482 - View of Bryce Amphitheater from Inspiration Point, coloured rock formations, fairy chimneys, morning light, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA, North America

832-381975 - Tourists in Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia, Africa

832-382115 - Tourists standing on the edge of Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States, North America

832-380220 - Dried salt lake, Salar de Uyuni, Altiplano, Bolivia, South America

832-380726 - Sulphur sediments in the thermal area of Dallol, Danakil-Senke, Ethiopia, Africa

832-380885 - Champagne Pool, hot thermal spring, Waiotapu, Waiotapu, Roturoa, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

832-380792 - Sunset in the salt desert Salar de Atacama, Sand dune, San Pedro de Atacama, El Loa province, Antofagasta region, Norte Grande, Chile, South America

832-380727 - Sulphur sediments in the thermal area of Dallol, Danakil-Senke, Ethiopia, Africa

832-380829 - Champagne Pool, hot spring, Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

832-380808 - Boardwalk over steaming ground, mineral deposits, Seltun geothermal area, Krysuvik volcanic system, Reykjanesfolkvangur conservation area, Iceland, Europe

832-380832 - Champagne Pool, hot spring, Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

832-380831 - Champagne Pool, hot spring, Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

832-380830 - Champagne Pool, hot spring, Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

832-381010 - Sulfur vapor, Vulcano Island, Aeolian Islands, Italy, Europe

832-379948 - People are bathing in the hot springs of Saturnia Therme, Saturnia, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

832-380402 - Dead camel thorns (Acacia erioloba) in front of sand dunes, Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, Africa

832-379576 - Donkeys transport salt blocks from the salt mines, Assale Salt Lake, Lake Assale, Danakil Valley, Afar Region, Ethiopia, Africa

1240-106 - Ballintoy, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

911-10929 - Workers extracting river sands and gravels from a river near Mangochi, Malawi, for use in house building.

483-1867 - Inca natural bridge, volcanic sediment, Mendoza district, Argentina, South America

860-284235 - Tiger snake eel on bottom, Galapagos Islands

860-282952 - Tiger shark swimming above a sandy bottom, Bahamas

860-285760 - Mediterranean Moray in seagrass, Mediterranean Sea France

860-282370 - Great Hammerhead Shark and divers on sandy bottom, Bahamas

860-282729 - Mantis shrimp digging itself into sand, Vanua Levu Fidji

860-282369 - Tiger shark swimming above a sandy bottom, Bahamas

860-284236 - Galapagos Gardenne Eels on bottom, Galapagos Islands

860-283389 - Magnus prawn Gobys with blind shrimp cleaning burrow, Fiji

860-284431 - Portrait of Squid on sandy background -Rade de Brest France

860-283391 - Striped puffer pair, Fiji

860-283390 - Striped puffer pair, Fiji

860-282372 - Great Hammerhead Shark and divers on sandy bottom, Bahamas

860-282507 - Black Manta Ray, Dampier Strait Raja Ampat Indonesia

832-368092 - Mineral deposits at a hot spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

832-375960 - Sandstone formations at Upper Antelope Canyon, Slot Canyon Arizona, USA, North America

832-375959 - Sandstone formation at Upper Antelope Canyon, Slot Canyon Arizona, USA, North America

1173-4250 - Clear and sediment-laden mountain streams merging, Costa Rica

832-342990 - Firehole Spring in Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

832-342987 - Chromatic Spring in Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

832-346087 - Svartifoss Falls, Skaftafell National Park, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean

832-337116 - Menzingen, Switzerland in a famous drumlin-setting formed by glaciers during the last ice age.

832-326916 - Hexagonal shapes, Salar de Uyuni salt flat, Altiplano, Ptosi Department, Bolivia, South America

832-314320 - Uchisar, Cappadocia, Turkey

832-309707 - Svartifoss, "Black Waterfall, " with basalt columns, Skaftafell National Park, southeast Iceland, Iceland

832-309708 - Svartifoss, "Black Waterfall, " with basalt columns, Skaftafell National Park, southeast Iceland, Iceland

465-3078 - Methane clathrate gas released from bottom sediments of Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, Eurasia

832-239768 - Soda extraction at Lake Natron, donkeys of the Maasai transport the salt slabs to the lake shore, Tanzania, Africa

832-211923 - The Patriot Coal Corporation's Samples mine, which uses the technique of mountaintop removal to mine coal. The mountain tops are stripped away and dumped in valleys to get at the coal below. The Samples mine has been temporarily closed due to declining de

832-199923 - Salty shores of a salt lake, salt production, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, Europe