Why is the Salt Springs in the Ocala National Forest FL salty?
Water in the pool is very clear, blue, and is salty, the result of the water rising to the surface through ancient salt deposits. In places in the pool, there is a halocline visual distortion effect of salt and fresh water mixing. Fish, including striped bass, mullet, and small fry are abundant. In addition, blue crab and needlefish may be seen. The crabs are most commonly observed in the deeper portions of the spring openings. The marine life was established at the site millennia ago when this portion of Florida was part of a shallow sea. When the land rose upward, the marine creatures remained at the site because of the salty flow from the spring.
