They Found Life Where They Did Not Expect In Utah’s Extreme Environment

Add very salty nematodes to the list of Utah residents.

When Michael Werner, an assistant professor of biological sciences, read the sign saying there are only two life forms that can live in the Great Salt Lake the brine fly and the brine shrimp, he was suspicious. The sign explained that due to the lake's high salinity levels, only those two animals could survive in this harsh environment.

Why was Werner so sus of this fact? Because he is an expert on nematodes, otherwise known as roundworms. And as an expert, he knows too well of the adaptability of nematodes. In fact, he knew that there are more than 250,000 nematode species whose habitats include extreme environments from deep oceans to harsh deserts.

Armed with this knowledge Matt wondered if they were present in our local briney sea and if they were just waiting to be discovered.

He created a theory and got some students involved. After taking samples from the lake they indeed found nematodes. This is an early study so origins have not been identified, but I bet they were part of the Hansen/Travis hand cart company.

Finding nematodes in the Great Salt Lake inspires me. Where else could a nematode survive if it can live in the extremes of a salt bath that would relax any sore muscle?

Do you think we could make the nematode a mascot somewhere in Utah? With the popularity of Dune, worms have become very en vogue.