Tammy Crowley, age 8, of Lansing, Michigan, for her question:

Why is the Dead Sea dead?

Fishes are used to living in the salty ocean. But they cannot live in the Dead Sea    and neither can anything else. It is about nine times saltier than the salty ocean. Some of the chemicals dissolved in its water are very bitter and sickly. Other chemicals make it feel oily. People who try to swim in it float on the surface and cannot possibly sink. The strong chemicals burn the skin and damage the eyes. They also would damage the eyes, the skins and even the scales of creatures who live in the sea. Besides, the creatures of the ocean need to stay under water    and here they would have to float on the top.

The Dead Sea is really a smallish lake, long and narrow. Its clear, blue green water sparkles in the sun. It is warmer than the desert around it, and the water evaporates very fast. Wisps of pale, thin mist hang above the surface. But there are no gulls or other birds hovering around    because there is no live fishy food for them to catch in the Dead Sea.