Aliki-The salt lake of cyprus

In October the students of the sixth form of our school visited Aliki lake in Larnaca.


The Wetlands of Cyprus

One of only two wetlands in Cyprus is a cluster of the Larnaca salt lake. The lakes communicate with each other despite the fact that they are interdependent.

Salinity of the Great Lake of Salt Lake, is taller than all the lakes. A tiny dark red seaweed is the base of the food chain of the lake. The small shrimp Artemia live and eat there. The shrimp are the main food of flamingos and other birds in the salt. For this reason, any intervention in the ecosystem of Alykes would upset the hydrological balance of the cluster of Alykes, and would have devastating and lasting impact on the ecological balance of the wetlands.

The wetlands are well known for water birds such as flamingos, various species of ducks and gulls. There are also many Almirida and species of orchids. A wide variety of other plants are located in the area and various species of butterflies and insects rely on these plants for their survival.

In 2001, Cyprus ratified the agreement of RAMSAR for the protection of the wetlands and the Larnaca Salt Lake was listed as the 1018th wetland of international importance.