· Big and Deep
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is ancient, vast, and cold. It contains unique sponge reefs and hundreds of endemic species.  

Big and Deep

Baikal holds one-fifth of the world's fresh water. It is so large it has been called an inland sea. Due to its age and diversity of deep-water habitats, the biodiversity of Lake Baikal is unrivaled.

Special Features

Lake Baikal originated at least 25 million years ago when parts of the Earth's crust pulled apart, leaving a huge valley that is filled today by the lake and 300 rivers and streams that feed it. Baikal is almost 6,000 feet (nearly 1,800 m) deep and more than 1,100 miles (1,800 km) long. Its water is crystal clear and pure, thanks to unique underwater reefs of living sponges that filter bacteria and algae from the water as food. They are assisted by huge populations of shrimp and epischuras, tiny creatures that form large groups and filter out debris. Among the lake’s many habitats are recently discovered hydrothermal vents at a depth of about 1,300 feet (400 m) that support sponges, bacterial mats, snails, transparent shrimp, and fish.

Even without talking, the Baikal seal says a lot about the ecoregion's past. Known locally as the nerpa, it is the only landlocked seal in the world. Unlike other seals, it lives all year round in or near fresh water and never enters the ocean to breed or migrate. The nerpa's presence in Lake Baikal indicates that the ecoregion was once connected to the Arctic Ocean, possibly by a large river that no longer exists.

Wild Side

Oxygen circulates to greater depths in Lake Baikal than other lakes, so creatures can survive even in very deep water. About 2,500 species of plants and animals have been identified in Lake Baikal, 1,500 of which are endemic. Several large endemic fish inhabit deeper waters and form part of the prey base for the endemic Baikal seal, the only entirely landlocked seal species in the world. Among Lake Baikal’s fish are 36 species in the sculpin family Cottidae. These make up a "species flock," which means they are descended from a single ancestor. Also existing there is an endemic fish family, the Baikal oilfishes. The amazing aquatic diversity of the lake includes 147 species of snails, 255 species of shrimp-like amphipods, and 80 species of flatworm.

Cause for Concern

Much of the land around Lake Baikal has been developed, but so far the diverse habitats in the area remain connected. Pulp mills, aluminum plants, and other industries harm the ecoregion by dumping chemicals and other pollutants into the water and the atmosphere. Grazing also poses a threat, and forests have been cleared for timber and agriculture.

Looking Ahead

Check back soon for more about the conservation of this ecoregion.