Session
Poster Session 2026
Location
Orem, UT
Start Date
5-4-2026 9:49 AM
Description
Brine flies (Ephydra gracilis) are an integral part of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, providing an important food source for ~10 million migratory birds that visit annually. We are monitoring the ways that the brine fly population change in response to various biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature and salinity. This project contributes to a broader effort to evaluate how management of the causeway berm affects nutrient dynamics in the south arm—and, in turn, brine fly productivity. We aim to share our adapted monitoring techniques, originally developed in collaboration with the Mono Lake Committee, with researchers at other saline lakes that support brine fly populations.
Brine Fly Populations in a Changing Great Salt Lake
Orem, UT
Brine flies (Ephydra gracilis) are an integral part of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, providing an important food source for ~10 million migratory birds that visit annually. We are monitoring the ways that the brine fly population change in response to various biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature and salinity. This project contributes to a broader effort to evaluate how management of the causeway berm affects nutrient dynamics in the south arm—and, in turn, brine fly productivity. We aim to share our adapted monitoring techniques, originally developed in collaboration with the Mono Lake Committee, with researchers at other saline lakes that support brine fly populations.