In the pantheon of academic absurdity, there are works that boggle the mind and shake one’s faith in higher education. “Loving the Brine Shrimp: Exploring Queer Feminist Blue Posthumanities to Reimagine ‘America’s Dead Sea’” is just such a paper. Reading this treatise on the intersection of brine shrimp, queer theory, and “hydrosexuality” is like stepping into a postmodern fever dream—a world where actual problems like water scarcity play second fiddle to debating the eroticism of aquatic ecosystems. Buckle up; this is going to be a salty ride.

Abstract

The article aims to transform narratives surrounding Utah’s Great Salt Lake, often referred to as “America’s Dead Sea,” by reimagining how brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) are perceived in science, culture, and art. It introduces the concept of hydrosexuality to bridge these realms, thereby enriching feminist blue posthumanities and feminist biology through art-based practices and queer advocacy. By navigating the environmental narrative of the GSL, the hydrosexual perspective challenges settler science by exploring the connections between the reproductive system of brine shrimp and the economy, ecology and culture. The article provides a framework for integrative cultural analysis that bolsters arguments about the multilayered exploitation of the lake and amplifies voices that recognize the brine shrimp as vital to the survival of multiple species and to the GSL as a unique ecosystem. Furthermore, this cultural analysis draws inspiration from low trophic theory and Queer Death Studies. This multifaceted approach is exemplified by two case studies in the arts, which gradually alter white humans’ perceptions and understandings of the brine shrimp, helping to reimagine the GSL in the context of rapid climate change.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-024-09934-0

“Hydrosexuality”—Yes, It’s a Thing