(Westminster College) Scientists and students search for brine shrimp in a field of exposed microbialites at the Great Salt Lake on Oct. 25, 2022. Microbialites and brine flies are vital components that support millions of migrating birds each year at the Great Salt Lake, but that food web is collapsing due to low water levels and rising salinity.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.