Project Leader, Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Project
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Bio:
Kyle Stone graduated from Weber State University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. While there, he discovered his love for birds while taking an ornithology class and began working for the Avian Ecology Lab (AEL). In 2009, after four years with AEL, he was hired by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources as a biologist on the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program (GSLEP). Kyle has continued his nearly two-decade-long journey of exploring and studying the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem while helping manage the brine shrimp fishery. He completed his Master's degree at Utah State University in 2021, and he was promoted to Project Leader at GSLEP in 2024.
Title: Worth its Salt
Abstract: Participation in the Great Salt Lake Salinity Advisory Committee (GSLSAC) aligns with the Division of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) mission, beliefs, and values. As a DWR representative on GSLSAC, I “serve the people of Utah as trustee and guardian of the state's protected wildlife”—in this case, primarily the migratory birds and macroinvertebrates (brine shrimp and brine flies) that inhabit the Great Salt Lake (GSL) ecosystem. The division’s belief that “Wildlife is valuable to everyone” can be extended to include the idea that a healthy, functioning GSL should also be important to everyone, since the lake is tied to the rest of the world in various ways through the wildlife it supports. The DWR values—Integrity, professionalism, accountability, teamwork, and cooperation—are imperative for the work GSLSAC has done and continues to do, monitoring and advising on GSL salinity. It has been very rewarding to work with such a diverse group of stakeholders moving toward a common goal of protecting a fascinating and unique ecosystem.
