Roger Gilbert, of International Aquafeed and Fish Farming technology magazines, took the opportunity to stop by the High Sierra Brine Shrimp stand at the recent Aquaculture America 2026 Expo in Las Vegas to talk to Richard Jones. Richard explained that their source of brine shrimp, Artemia monica (a tiny species of brine shrimp, no bigger than a thumbnail), is from the famous Mono Lake where it is endemic.
The lake, a saline soda lake, is located in Mono County, California and was formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. This desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp, which thrive in its waters and provide critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies. High Sierra Brine Shrimp has been harvesting shrimp there since 1953 and its annual limits protect the lake and its contents.
It’s an amazing insight into Brine Shrimp and well worth watching!
