(Abduaziz Madyarov | The Great Salt Lake Collaborative) Uzbek fishermen prepare to search for brine shrimp along the shores of the Aral Sea on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. The fishermen spend the winter in small cabins, enduring temperatures that can dip to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to harvest brine shrimp cysts.
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.