Used primarily in microbiology to isolate and cultivate halophilic bacteria from high-salt environments such as salt lakes, saline soils, and marine habitats. The agar supports the growth of salt-tolerant microorganisms by providing an elevated sodium chloride concentration, typically ranging from 10% to 25%, which inhibits non-halophilic organisms. It is commonly used in environmental studies, industrial microbiology, and research on extremophiles for applications such as enzyme production, bioremediation in saline conditions, and discovery of novel salt-adapted strains. The selective nature of the medium allows researchers to study microbial diversity in hypersaline ecosystems and screen for bioactive compounds or pigments produced by halophiles.