Researched by
Shari S.
1998-99
The Effects of Salinity on
Brine Shrimp Growth.
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Researched by
Shari S. |
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The purpose of this experiment was to determine how different levels of salinity affect size of mature brine shrimp.
I became interested in this idea when I bought a kit with brine shrimp. The directions said to add a specific amount of salt. I wondered if I added more salt what would happen.
The information gained from this experiment could help people
who culture brine shrimp so their brine shrimp develop more efficiently.
People who feed brine shrimp to tropical fish would also benefit,
because they would know how to raise the largest brine shrimp
possible.
My hypothesis is that the growth of the brine shrimp will be positively affected by the salinity. I think that the brine shrimp will grow larger in higher salinities.
I base my hypothesis on a statement made in the Encyclopedia
of the Animal World which states that ìbrine shrimp growth
depends on salinityî and ìlarger brine shrimp tend
to grow in higher salinityî.
The constants in this study were: The amount of water added
to the pans.
The amount
of eggs added to the pans.
The amount
of food added to the pans two times a week.
The
type of water. (tap)
The temperature
of the water.
The
amount of time that the brine shrimp are allowed to grow.
The
type and size of rearing pan.
The manipulated variable was the amount of salt added to the water.
The responding variable was the growth in length of the brine shrimp from ìtailî to ìheadî.
To measure the responding variable, the brine shrimp will be
measured after two and one half weeks under a microscope using
a micro ruler in tenths of millimeters.
| QUANTITY | ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 4 | Metal pans |
| 7 quarts | Tap water |
| 1lb. | Sea salt mix |
| 15 grams | Powdered yeast |
| 16 grams | Shrimp eggs |
| 2 | Measuring devices |
| 1 | Scale |
1. Collect all of your materials.
2. Label four sterile one gallon jugs 4.0, 2.0, 1.0, and
0.5
3. Pour 3 quarts of tap water into the 4.0 jug.
4. Pour 1 pound of sea salt into the 4.0 jug. Let
dissolve by shaking.
5. Pour 1.5 quarts of 4.0 into 2.0 jug and dilute with
1.5 quarts of tap water.
6. Pour 1.5 quarts of 2.0 into 1.0 jug and dilute
with 1.5 quarts of tap water
7. Pour 1 quart of 1.0 into 0.5 jug and dilute with
1 quart of tap water
8. Weigh out 0.5 grams of brine shrimp eggs.
9. Put the eggs into the 4.0 pan.
10. Repeat step 9 for each other pan.
11. Hatch eggs by maintaining temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees
F. or 24-26 degrees C.
12. After the brine shrimp hatch float 0.4 grams of powdered yeast
on top of water in each pan.
13. Repeat step 12 two times a week or when yeast is all gone.
14. Record brine shrimp growth for fifteen individuals in each
pan. Select them randomly.
15. Measure from tip of head to tip of tail using microscope and
micro ruler in millimeters.
16. Record data in table.
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine how
different salinitys affect the growth of brine shrimp.
The results of the experiment were that the reccommended salinity (1.0) produced the largest brine shrimp. The highest salinity (4.0) caused the brine shrimp to not even hatch. I think this may have happened because the level of salt may have been too high for the brine shrimp to hatch in.
My hypothesis was that the salinity would positively affect the growth of the brine shrimp and that the brine shrimp in higher salinitys would grow larger.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected because the brine shrimp in the recommended salinity were the largest and the brine shrimp in the highest salinities did not even hatch.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if the 4.0 salinity was too much salt and the brine shrimp were not able to hatch and were possibly killed.
If I were to conduct this project again I would have taken
pictures of the brine shrimp and me conducting my experiment.
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Introduction Many kids purchase ìSea monkeysî
in kits. ìSea monkeysî are actually brine shrimp
and most kids wonder how they can grow their brine shrimp to
a larger size. This report will help explain which conditions
they can do this in. This report explains the following
topics:
Brine Shrimp Brine Shrimp Growth Brine shrimp grow up to 13 mm (or 0.5
inches) long. They are made up of twenty segments with
the last eight segments in their tail. Male brine shrimp
mature in two and one half weeks and females take three. Salinity Salinity is the measurement of the amount
of solid matter (usually salt) in an amount of water. Salinity
is measured in grams of salt per kilogram of solution.
This can be expressed in parts per thousands (ppt).
Salinity and Brine Shrimp Brine shrimp growth depends on salinity and larger brine shrimp tend to grow in higher salinityís. Brine shrimp perfer a salinity of 30-35ppt but can live in lower and higher salinityís.
Summary In my report I explained what brine shrimp are, how they grow, what salinity is, and how salinity effects brine shrimp. I hope you have enjoyed my research report and the rest of my project.
"Brine Shrimp,î Encyclopedia of the Animal World, 1972. 265-266 ì Brine Shrimp,î Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 1998 ìBrine Shrimp Facts.î [Online] Available http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/art-2.html ìLife history of the brine shrimpî [Online] Available http://www.allserv.rug.ac.be/~booghe/james/corses/artemia/arc.html Lochead, H. John ìBrine Shrimpî Encyclopedia Americana 1993, p. 558 Orlans, Barbara Animal Care from Protozoa to Small Mammals 1977 p.101-106 ìSalinityî Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 1998 Schumann, Kai ìBrine Shrimp FAQ1.1î[Online] Available http://www.thekrib.com/food/artemia-kai.html
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