In the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, researchers have discovered a deadly pool of extremely salty water known as the ‘Hot Tub of Despair.’ This toxic brine pool, located nearly 3,300 feet below the surface, harbors only a handful of organisms that can tolerate its extreme conditions. Hydrocarbons bubbling up through buried slabs of salt create the pool’s high salinity and density, preventing it from mixing with the surrounding seawater. The brine’s high temperatures, hydrogen sulfide, and methane make it inhabitable for most organisms, resulting in the accumulation of dead animals on the pool’s floor.