Great Salt Lake brine shrimp and eggs/USGS
Sept. 3, 2003
Brine Shrimp: To Hatch or Not to Hatch
Brine Shrimp: To Hatch or Not to Hatch
Emily Willis, 13, Heber City, Utah
Discovery Health Channel "Medical Science" Award, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2002
Project background: Emily's interest in marine biology led her to study the Great Salt Lake, the closest body of salt water to her home. Emily decided to study the ways different environmental factors affect the hatch rate of brine shrimp eggs and the implications for the unique habitat of the Great Salt Lake. She consulted a brine shrimp specialist about her inquiry, methodology, and supplies.
Tactics and results: Emily examined the effects of salinity, light, and temperature on the hatch rate of brine shrimp eggs (cysts). Each test lasted 48 hours, and after each 24-hour period, Emily checked the number of cysts with a microscope. While she hypothesized that an 8-percent salinity level would produce the best hatch rate, since that is the lake's normal salinity level, Emily discovered that 3-percent salinity actually produced the best hatch rate. Light produced only a slightly better hatch rate than darkness, and room temperature supported the highest hatch rate as compared to other temperatures.
Emily concluded that in order to maintain a brine shrimp population large enough to provide an important food source for endangered birds, annual spring runoff must be kept running into the Great Salt Lake and not be diverted for other use.
Read the latest science fair news
Get a science fair tip
Browse a list of science fair topics
Talk Back:
Do you have any comments about this ScienceFairZone? Send them
to us using the form below.
|
SNK RSS Feed 
