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Genetics Science Fair Project

The Effect of Calcium on Brine Shrimp

Hard
The Effect of Calcium on Brine Shrimp | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Ever wondered how brine shrimp eggs can survive extreme temperatures and still hatch? In this project, you'll explore the effect of calcium on the hatching of brine shrimp eggs.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that higher concentrations of calcium in water will make brine shrimp eggs hatch more quickly.

Method & Materials

You will mix 400ml of distilled water and 25mg salt in a beaker, then pour 100ml of the solution into four petri dishes. You will then add different concentrations of calcium to each petri dish and sprinkle half a tablespoon of brine shrimp eggs over each dish. You will observe the contents of the petri dishes every 12 hours and count the number of hatched brine shrimp.
You will need a bottle of brine shrimp eggs, a tablespoon, four petri dishes, a beaker, 400ml distilled water, 25mg salt, a measuring cylinder, a digital weighing scale, a bottle of calcium, a magnifying glass, and a black marker pen.

Results

The results of the experiment showed that higher concentrations of calcium in the water caused the eggs to hatch more quickly. The observation that stands out is that the 30mg/100ml calcium concentration resulted in 39 hatched brine shrimp after 72 hours.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it explores the ability of brine shrimp eggs to remain in a state of total stasis for long periods of time, and how adding calcium can speed up the hatching process.

Also Consider

Consider repeating the experiment with different types of crustaceans, such as prawns, crabs, or lobsters. Also, try observing the effect of adding other nutrients such as vitamin C or iron to the water.

Full project details

You can find additional information and details for this science fair project here. Have fun exploring!

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