user: First measurements were taken in 1927 - water levels have declined since. They are monitored by Israeli Geological Institute of Limnological Research. Research buoy is positioned in the centre of the sea near Ein Gedi resort. Dead Sea’s water level has dropped  131ft (40 metres) since the 1950s. Decline blamed on large reduction of inflowing water from the Jordan River.

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assistant: The Dead Sea has attracted visitors for thousands of years who come to float in its salty waters and reap its reported health benefits. But the attraction's days could be numbered after experts discovered the sea's water level is dropping by an average of one metre every year. The drop in levels is thought to have been caused by more water flowing out of the sea than into it from the Jordan River. Scroll down for video. The water level of the Red Sea is dropping by an average of one meter per year. It is being carefully monitored by the Israeli Geological Institute of Limnological Research, which uses a small research buoy (pictured) floating in the centre of the sea to measure its depth. The first measurements were taken in 1927 and since then the waters, made famous in Biblical stories, have declined. They are being monitored by the Israeli Geological Institute of Limnological Research which uses a small research buoy floating in the centre of the sea to measure its depth. The marker measures the water level near the Dead Sea coastal resort of Ein Gedi, Israel. The first measurements were taken in 1927 and since then the waters, made famous in Biblical stories, have declined. This image shoes dead palm trees standing in front of the Dead Sea coastal resort near Ein Gedi. It is estimated that the Dead Sea’s water level has dropped by more than 131ft (40 metres) since the 1950s. Here, an abandoned tourist boat shipwreck lies on the sandy bed. The Dead Sea is 1,407ft (429 metres) below sea level, making it the Earth's lowest elevation on land. It's 997ft (304metres) deep - the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. The Dead Sea is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean. It is so-called because fish and plants can't survive in the salty water. The water has attracted health tourists for thousands of years - since Herod the Great - and minerals were used as balms for Egyptian mummification and fertilisers. It has a density of 1.24kg/l, which makes swimming similar to floating. It is estimated that the Dead Sea’s water level has dropped by more than 131ft (40 metres) since the 1950s. The low level has been blamed on the imbalance between the amount of incoming and outgoing water. In particular, experts said there has been a large reduction of water flowing into the sea from the Jordan River. This may be due to the water saturating the land, or being taken from the river for various reasons. The Dead Sea, known as the Sea of Salt, separates Israel and Jordan. It is so-called, because its high salt content, which is almost 10 times as salty as the ocean, prevents fish and plants from living in it. The sea’s surface and shores are 1,407ft (429 metres) below sea level, making it the Earth’s lowest elevation on land. And at 997ft (304metres) deep, it is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. The low water level has been blamed on the imbalance between the amount of incoming and outgoing water. Here, a researcher from the Institute measures the water's depth using a rope, which is covered in salt. The Dead Sea, known as the Sea of Salt, separates Israel and Jordan. It is so-called, because its high salt content, prevents fish and plants from living in it. Salt rusts metal and this image shoes an old buoy used by the Israeili navy, lying about 20 metres out of the water, marking where the shore was about 30 years ago. There has been a large reduction of inflowing of water from the Jordan River, which some experts think is the reason for declining levels. This image shows an abandoned water park opposite its shores neat Ein Gedi. This has been attributed to the increased consumption of water within the Jordan River and irrigation drainage basin. Water resources in the region are in demand and affect Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan that border the basin. Evidence of the water scarcity manifests itself as exposed sinkholes, cracked mud flats, damaged plants and even a derelict water park. The Dead Sea area has been attracting health tourists seeking treatments for more than 2,000 years, and is now a centre for health research. Experts say the mineral content of the water, lower levels of pollens and allergen in the atmosphere, and higher atmospheric pressure, have health benefits. It has been found that people with respiratory diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, have appeared to benefit from increased atmospheric pressure. Experts exploit features such as the temperature and humidity to treat patients with psoriasis, who benefit from sunbathing in the area due to its position below sea level and fewer UV rays. People with rhinosinusitis or sinusitis, typically receive saline nasal irrigation to relive their symptoms. It's also been suggested that Dead Sea mud pack therapy relieves pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knees. Water resources in the region are in demand and affect Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan that border the basin. This image shows a drying pool of Dead Sea salt processing on the southern side. Evidence of the water scarcity shows itself as exposed sinkholes (pictured), cracked mud flats, damaged plants and even a derelict water park. The sea’s surface and shores are 1,407ft (429 metres) below sea level, making the Dead Sea the Earth’s lowest elevation on land. This image shows a chair covered with salt sticking out of the sand at the coastal resort near Ein Gedi, where water levels are being monitored.