An organism, usually a microorganism, that thrives in salty environments and actually needs salt to survive.
From Greek 'halos' (salt) + 'philos' (lover of). This scientific term was coined in the late 19th century as biologists discovered microorganisms thriving in salt lakes and salt mines where nothing else could survive.
Halophiles are so salt-loving that they'll actually die in normal fresh water—some are so extreme they're found in the Dead Sea where the salt concentration is 10 times higher than ocean water!
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