Meromictic lakes are fairly rare; they have been extensively studied, in part because their sediments can preserve a historical record extending back thousands of years, and because of the euxinic (anoxic, sulfidic) conditions which can form in the deep water.

[1] Deep lakes tend to appear bluish because the wavelengths of light that can penetrate (and be dispersed at) great depths are those closer to the blue end of the spectrum.

[4] The lake, which resembles a large river in shape, is unusually deep for its size and was considered sacred by the native Onondaga tribe, which originally settled in the area.

[7] FGL is currently located in Green Lakes State Park, and since 1933, large quantities of sand have been dumped on the shore of the north end to create a swimming area.

FGL has a sulfate concentration around 13.5 mmol/L (about half that of modern seawater) which is derived from groundwater input to the deep portion of the lake.

[9] Calcite precipitation is common year round at FGL, and this leads to the carbonate crust that surrounds most of the lake, and covers branches and other material that falls below the surface.

[4] The meromictic character of FGL is believed to represent a possible analog to ancient ocean environments during the Precambrian and during times of environmental stress.

Recent work by Lee Kump at Penn State University has been featured on the television shows Nova: scienceNOW,[12] National Geographic,[13] and BBC [14] relating FGL to the end-Permian mass extinction.