Science Projects With Brine Shrimp

Survival Projects

• These experiments are designed to test how different pollutants or toxins can affect the survival of brine shrimp populations. Several batches of brine shrimp must be raised under the same circumstances until maturity. A drop of various pollutants are added to half of the populations and the number of survivors are charted daily and compared to those with no pollutants. Motor oil, dish soap and gasoline are often found in estuaries and aquatic environments, and therefore make good representative test chemicals.

Growth Projects

• These projects determine how pollutants affect the development of brine shrimp. Several batches of brine shrimp eggs are incubated at the same time. Half of them have pollutants added to the birth waters, and the other half are treated normally. Using a magnifying glass, students chart the growth of the shrimp over the next eight days, with particular focus on the first day, which indicates hatching time, and the final days which represent maturation and determine if pollutants affect growth.

Salinity Projects

• Since brine shrimp grow best in a saline environment, it makes an interesting experiment to find the ideal salinity for their growth. These projects require several batches of brine shrimp to be hatched and raised to maturity in environments with varying levels of salt. You will need to raise at least three batches for each salinity level and average the results of both survival rate and time to maturity and graph the results. The salinity level that produces greatest survival and fastest maturity is considered ideal.

Light Level Projects

• These projects are an attempt to determine the effect that light has upon the growth and survivability of brine shrimp. Several different batches of brine shrimp are grown under varying light conditions. At least three batches should be developed under each and the resultant numbers for each should be averaged. For an interesting take on the experiment, grow one set under constant UV light, one set in natural sunlight, and deprive one set of any light at all.