The view along the Buffalo Trail extends in both directions along the 335 miles of the Antelope Island shoreline. The characteristic muddy sand that lines the waters edge is called oolitic sand. A closer look at the sand will reveal a smooth jellybean shape. Oolitic sands are formed when calcium carbonate layers build around the fecal pellets of brine shrimp.

Brine shrimp are the most important species in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. They are efficient filter feeders that favor the dozens of species of algae in the lake. When feeding on algae they help remove phosphorus and nitrogen in the water from household and industrial wastes. Brine shrimp are very resilient creatures. They lay eggs that are so tiny that it would take 250,000 of them to fill one teaspoon. Brine shrimp eggs tend to concentrate in large rafts. Each raft contains so many eggs that the reddish colored rafts can be spotted in the water from an airplane. If the shrimp are unable to reproduce in a season, they will produce cysts instead of eggs. The cysts will remain in the lake to start the population for the next year.

In addition to being important to the open water ecosystem, benthic, or bottom dwelling species rely on them for survival. Once the brine shrimp have grazed the phytoplankton from the open water, light can reach the benthic environment, providing light for photosynthesis.

The lake's aquatic plants are food for another important aquatic creature in the ecosystem, the Ephydra fly. Ephydra or Brine flies live a short lifespan of 3-4 days. During this time they eat significant amounts of algae, bacteria, and organic waste. They are incredibly efficient water cleansers. This is a perfect example of a symbiotic relationship in nature.

The hypersaline conditions of the lake result from the constant evaporation of water from the basin. The salt and other minerals, suspended in the water are left behind.

The Great Salt Lake is too saline for most fish species to survive. However, 23 different species can be found in the surrounding freshwater tributaries.

The hundreds of thousands of migrating birds that visit the Great Salt Lake basin feed on the brine shrimp. Many species of birds have adapted to the saline conditions of the water. Five million birds, or 250 different species, rely on the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. A mandatory stop at Great Salt Lake to refuel on brine shrimp provides the birds with the energy they need to complete their journey to Argentina and Bolivia.

Over 64 species of mammals can be found in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. They include the pronghorn antelope, badger, bison, black-tailed jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, coyote, deer mouse, kangaroo rat, mink, mule deer, muskrat, porcupine, red fox, striped skunk, voles, and at least 49 other species. There are also species or subspecies of 8 amphibians, 19 reptiles, hundreds of plants, invertebrates, and microorganisms.

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