Image of students observing a tiny translucent shrimp

Students from Emerson Elementary studied brine shrimp in class. Brine shrimp live in Utah's Great Salt Lake.

JOEL SARTORE/PHOTO ARK (BRINE SHRIMP); NIKI CHAN WYLIE (STUDENTS)

STANDARDS

NGSS: Core Idea: LS2.A, LS2.C

CCSS: Reading Informational Text: 7

TEKS: 6.12A, 7.3B, 8.12A, B.13D

How a Tiny Shrimp Became a State Symbol

When a sixth-grade class in learned about the Utah importance of a tiny organism in their area, they set out to make it an official state animal.

May 6, 2024

By Jennifer Barone

AS YOU READ, THINK ABOUT how falling water levels could affect the creatures that live in a lake.

Organization for a New Utah Flag

Utah's Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.

Every year, Josh Craner, a teacher at Emerson Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah, takes his sixth-grade class to visit the Great Salt Lake. It’s the largest saltwater lake in the United States. It’s also home to an amazing little animal known as the brine shrimp. This critter is the only animal species that spends its whole life in the lake’s water—which can be five times as salty as seawater!

Brine shrimp play a critical role in the Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem, a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment. But over the past several years, Craner and his students have witnessed something concerning: The lake is shrinking, putting the entire ecosystem in jeopardy.

In 2022, Craner’s class decided to raise awareness about the Great Salt Lake’s threatened ecosystem. That led the students on a two-year mission to get its primary animal resident—the brine shrimp—recognized as Utah’s official state crustacean.

Every year, Josh Craner takes his sixth-grade class to the Great Salt Lake. Craner is a teacher at Emerson Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah. The lake is the largest saltwater lake in the United States. An amazing little animal lives there. It’s known as the brine shrimp. This is the only animal that spends its whole life in the lake’s water. That water can be five times as salty as seawater!

Brine shrimp are important to the Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem. That’s a community of organisms along with their physical environment. But over the past several years, Craner and his students have witnessed a problem. The lake is shrinking. And that puts the entire ecosystem in danger.

Craner’s class wanted to raise awareness about the Great Salt Lake’s threatened ecosystem. So in 2022, the students started on a two-year mission. The lake’s main animal resident is the brine shrimp. The students wanted it named Utah’s official state crustacean.

DRYING UP

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®

This graph shows the Great Salt Lake’s water levels over the past few decades. What overall trend do you notice in the data?

DRYING UP

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®

This graph shows the Great Salt Lake’s water levels over the past few decades. What overall trend do you notice in the data?

CHANGING LAKE

The Great Salt Lake is one of the largest terminal lakes in the world. Water flows in but has no way of flowing out. Terminal lakes tend to be salty because water can leave only through evaporation. Warmed by the sun’s heat, water in the lake changes from a liquid to a gas, leaving behind any salts that had been dissolved in it. With no flowing water to carry the salts away, these minerals build up over time.

Over the past half century, the Great Salt Lake has gone through big changes. Jaimi Butler is a biologist who grew up near the lake and has studied its ecology. “I’ve seen the lake go from its highest-ever recorded water levels in 1986 to its lowest in 2022,” says Butler (see Drying Up). Multiple factors are responsible, including variations in the snowfall that supplies meltwater to the lake and warmer temperatures brought on by climate change. Also, as the region’s population grows, more water must be diverted from waterways for farms, towns, and cities to use before it can reach the lake.

When Craner’s class visited the lake in 2022, the students were shocked: With declining water levels, the lake’s shoreline had receded significantly. The water’s edge was barely visible in the distance, too far for the students to walk to from where their bus dropped them off. “The water level was really low,” says Jameson Hunt, who was a student in Craner’s class that year. “When that happens, the salinity [salt level] goes up, which makes it harder for living things to survive.”

The drying lake affects people too. As the lake shrinks, dust from the dried-up lake bed gets blown into the air, making it potentially unsafe to breathe. Additionally, the dust contains toxic elements like arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg). Some occur naturally in the soil, while others arrived through water and air pollution from nearby mining operations.

Craner’s class wanted to tell others about the shrinking lake. They wondered what they could do to raise their voices. The students asked Butler, the biologist, for advice. She had previously spoken with the class about the lake’s ecosystem. She suggested writing to representatives in the state government. So the class did. But it didn’t feel like enough.

The Great Salt Lake is one of the world’s largest terminal lakes. Water flows in but can’t flow out. Terminal lakes are usually salty because water can leave only through evaporation. The sun’s heat warms the lake, and the water changes from a liquid to a gas. It leaves behind any salts that were in it. No flowing water carries the salts away, so these minerals build up over time.

Over the past half century, the Great Salt Lake has changed greatly. Jaimi Butler is a biologist. She grew up near the lake and studied its ecology. “I’ve seen the lake go from its highest-ever recorded water levels in 1986 to its lowest in 2022,” says Butler (see Drying Up). Many factors are responsible, including changes in snowfall. Snow supplies meltwater to the lake. Also, climate change has brought on warmer temperatures. And the area’s population is growing. So more water must be taken from waterways for farms, towns, and cities to use. That means less water reaches the lake.

Craner’s class visited the lake in 2022. The students were shocked. The water levels were declining, and the lake’s shoreline had shifted far away. When the bus dropped the students off, they could barely see the water’s edge in the distance. It was too far for them to walk.

Jameson Hunt was a student in Craner’s class. “The water level was really low,” says Jameson. “When that happens, the salinity [salt level] goes up, which makes it harder for living things to survive.”

The drying lake affects people too. As the lake shrinks, dust from the dried-up lake bed gets blown into the air. That can make it unsafe to breathe. Also, the dust contains toxic elements like arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg). Some occur naturally in the soil. Others arrived through water and air pollution from nearby mining operations.

Craner’s class wanted to tell others about the shrinking lake. What could they do to be heard? The students asked Butler for advice. The biologist had spoken with them about the lake’s ecosystem before. She said they could write to representatives in the state government. So the class did. But it didn’t feel like enough.

TINY MASCOT

COURTESY OF JOSH CRANER

The class crafted a brine shrimp mascot.

As the class studied the lake, they learned about brine shrimp. Shrimp are crustaceans, a group that also includes crabs and lobsters. Brine shrimp grow to about 0.5 inches (1.3 centimeters) long. They feed on algae and microorganisms in the lake.

Brine shrimp are an important food for birds. “Birds stop at the lake to eat brine shrimp during their migration,” says Jameson. The class learned that one bird species, called the eared grebe, relies on the shrimp as its only food source during its fall migration through Utah.

Brine shrimp also support an important industry. During reproduction, they release egg-like cysts. These cysts are harvested and exported around the world as food for farmed fish, as well as some pet fish in home aquariums. This business brings in nearly $60 million each year for the state.

But the shrinking lake puts the brine shrimp and their ecosystem at risk. When salinity is too high, algae populations decline. That means shrimp have less food. Brine shrimp also grow and reproduce more slowly. Beyond a certain salt level, shrimp can’t survive.

The class asked Butler what else they could do to spread the word about the lake and its brine shrimp. She recalled a college student who had told her that some states have official state crustaceans—in addition to the more familiar state mammals and birds. Maybe brine shrimp could be Utah’s state crustacean. Craner’s class loved the idea (see More State Animals Chosen by Kids).

The class studied the lake and learned about brine shrimp. Shrimp are crustaceans. This group also includes crabs and lobsters. Brine shrimp grow to about 0.5 inches (1.3 centimeters) long. They eat algae and microorganisms in the lake.

Brine shrimp are an important food for birds. “Birds stop at the lake to eat brine shrimp during their migration,” says Jameson. The class learned about a bird called the eared grebe. In the fall, it migrates through Utah. The shrimp are its only food at that time.

Brine shrimp also support an important industry. They release egg-like cysts when they reproduce. These cysts are harvested and exported around the world. They’re used as food for farmed fish, plus some pet fish in home aquariums. Each year, the state makes nearly $60 million from this business.

But the brine shrimp and their ecosystem are at risk. That’s because of the shrinking lake. When salinity is too high, algae populations drop. That means shrimp have less food. Brine shrimp also grow and reproduce more slowly. They can’t survive past a certain salt level.

The class wanted to do more to tell people about the lake and its brine shrimp. So they asked Butler for other suggestions. She remembered something that a college student had told her. States usually have official state mammals and birds. But some states also have state crustaceans. Maybe brine shrimp could be Utah’s state crustacean. Craner’s class loved the idea (see More State Animals Chosen by Kids).

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

COURTESY OF JOSH CRANER

They celebrated with a brine shrimp cake!

In 2022, the students prepared an online petition to get support for their proposal to make brine shrimp the state crustacean. “Our class gathered facts about brine shrimp,” says Jameson. They mentioned the shrimp’s importance to migrating birds, as well as its economic role in Utah. The petition garnered 1,250 signatures. “This project connected everyone,” says Jameson.

A representative in the state House of Representatives agreed to sponsor the students’ proposal. Three students went to the State Capitol to present the bill to a committee of lawmakers. It passed the House, but the legislative session ended before the state Senate was able to vote on it.

Undaunted, Craner’s incoming class the following year started the process again: a petition, a sponsor, speeches to the state legislature, including one by Jameson. This time, the proposal passed the House and the Senate. They’d done it!

The class celebrated with a cake featuring a brine shrimp. Utah’s governor signed the bill into law in March 2023, making brine shrimp the official state crustacean. Jameson says the experience showed that “whatever age or size you are, you can have a big impact.” The class hopes their achievement raises awareness about the importance of protecting the lake—down to its tiniest residents.

The students needed support for their proposal to make brine shrimp the state crustacean. So in 2022, they prepared an online petition. “Our class gathered facts about brine shrimp,” says Jameson. They mentioned the shrimp’s importance to migrating birds, plus its economic role in Utah. The petition got 1,250 signatures. “This project connected everyone,” says Jameson.

A representative in the state House of Representatives sponsored the students’ proposal. Three students went to the State Capitol. They presented the bill to a committee of lawmakers. It passed the House. But the legislative session ended before the state Senate could vote on it.

The next year, Craner’s incoming class didn’t give up. They started the process again. The class got a petition and a sponsor. They made speeches to the state legislature, including one by Jameson. This time, the proposal passed the House and the Senate. They’d done it!

The class celebrated with a cake that featured a brine shrimp. In March 2023, Utah’s governor signed the bill into law. Brine shrimp became the official state crustacean. Jameson says the experience showed that “whatever age or size you are, you can have a big impact.” The class hopes their success raises awareness about the lake. They want people to see that protecting it is important, down to its tiniest residents.