SALT LAKE CITY– What would you wear to help save one of the West's most endangered ecosystems? A dress, and you would probably need a tote bag, too. Westminster University's Great Salt Lake Institute (GSLI) and Svaha USA, a purpose-driven apparel company known for science-themed clothing, have teamed up on their new Brine Shrimp Collection: a line of dresses, cardigans, socks, and tote bags featuring the iconic brine shrimp of Great Salt Lake. Fifteen percent of all proceeds go directly to GSLI's undergraduate research program, which pairs Westminster students with faculty to conduct original field and lab research on the lake's ecosystem.
"Westminster is the only research center working exclusively on Great Salt Lake," said Baxter. "Our students don't just study the lake in the field and lab. They work alongside artists, scientists, and businesses to push this research forward.”
The collaboration was led by Dr. Bonnie Baxter, PhD, Professor of Biology and Director of Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster, often seen around campus on roller skates. “We always call Bonnie Ms. Frizzle, of The Magic School Bus fame, for her eclectic wardrobe,” said Georgie Corkery, GSLI’s staff coordinator. A longtime fan of Svaha's goal to make scientific concepts wearable and accessible, Baxter reached out to Svaha founder Dr. Jaya Iyer, PhD, to bring her in on Baxter’s own mission: bridge the gap between Great Salt Lake science and the public.
"When a design can be associated with a cause, it just resonates with people so much more," Iyer said. "The brine shrimp looked really cute, and when you come close, you realize what you're looking at. When you know it, you know it."
Brine shrimp are the cornerstone of Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem with millions of migratory birds and 338 species depending on them for food each year along the Western Flyway. They're also an economic powerhouse with approximately 60 percent of the farmed fish consumed worldwide are fed Great Salt Lake brine shrimp. Yet the lake that sustains them is shrinking, threatening the ecosystem and Utah's economy.
"The brine shrimp is one of our icons. It’s our state crustacean!" said Baxter. "This collection gives us a new way to fund the research our students are already doing on the lake’s food chains. Every purchase supports a student scientist.”
The collection’s artwork traces back to Westminster’s classrooms. Original illustrations were first created for the first children’s book ever written about the lake, Great Salt Lake Monster Mystery, co-authored by Dr. Baxter and published in 2010. The illustrator, Westminster alum Arly Landry (’14), was an environmental studies major with independent coursework in scientific illustrations whose work appears in Dr. Baxter’s book. Svaha’s design team took Landry’s illustrations and transformed them into a wearable print.
The Brine Shrimp Collection, available now at svahausa.com, includes a dress, cardigan, and tote bag, with something for everyone interested in lake couture.
"If we can save Great Salt Lake, it will be the conservation story of a lifetime," said Baxter. "I'm imagining a science teacher showing up in a brine shrimp dress and a student asking, 'what are those?' That question alone could inspire a generation of people to care about saving our lake."
Proceeds from the Brine Shrimp Collection go directly to GSLI's undergraduate research program at Westminster University, a research center dedicated exclusively to Great Salt Lake. Educators, nature lovers, and anyone who wants to support GSLI can shop the collection.
Dr. Bonnie Baxter in the Brine Shrimp Twirl Dress with Pockets
