Most salt-tolerant plant
- Who
- Dunaliella salina
- What
- 35 percentage
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- N/A
The most salt-tolerant plant is the green algae species Dunaliella salina, which can survive at salinity levels up to 35%. Dunaliella has a global distribution, most commonly found in habitats such as oceans, brine lakes and salt marshes.
Dunaliella salina is also the most salt-tolerant eukaryote (any organism with cells that contain a nucleus).
As well as being able to survive a wide range of salinity levels (0.2–35%), this algae also has an incredible heat tolerance – being able to endure temperatures as low as 0°C (32°F) up to 40°C (104°F).
When placed under hostile conditions (e.g. reduced nutrients, high salinity level, high temperatures etc), Dunaliella salina can accumulate significant levels of the natural red-orange pigment β-carotene. For that reason, it is cultivated for the food and cosmetics industries as a natural colourant, and also pharmaceutically for its anti-oxidant properties.