A Level Biology A Core Practical 13b - Brine Shrimp Hatching

Activity 5.
20 Student Sheet
Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology Resources Core Practical
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE

HATCHING SUCCESS OF BRINE SHRIMPS
Purpose
 To investigate the effect of temperature on the hatching success of brine shrimps.
SAFETY
Write a risk assessment detailing any safety precautions. Include consideration of any
ethical issues arising from the use of living organisms. Discuss this with your teacher
before starting.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the organisms and before you leave the
laboratory.
Brine shrimps
Brine shrimps are small, salt water crustaceans; the adults are about 8 mm in length. They are
relatively easy to keep in the laboratory and will produce dormant egg cysts that hatch to produce
young shrimp larvae.
YOU NEED
● Brine shrimp egg cysts ● Stirring rod
● 2 g sea salt for each treatment ● Magnifying glass
3
● 100 cm de-chlorinated water for each treatment ● Pair of forceps
3
● 40 cm beaker of salt water ● Fine glass pipette
● 100 cm3 beakers (one for each temperature to be ● Bright light
tested) ● Access to refrigerator
● Water baths or incubators (one for each ● Sheet of graph paper 3 cm × 4 cm
temperature to be investigated)
To find out more about brine shrimps, visit the British Ecological Society website, which you can
access by going to the weblinks for this activity.
Figure 1 Drawings to show the features of a brine shrimp.
Planning and experimental design

Read through the procedure provided below and assess its suitability for investigating the effect of
temperature on the hatching of brine shrimps. Make sure you think about the following points:
variables, suitability of the apparatus and method to provide accurate and precise results, and any
sources of error. Write a risk assessment as detailed in the safety notes above.
Safety checked, but not trialled by CLEAPSS. Users may need to adapt the risk assessment information to local circumstances.
© 2016 University of York, developed by University of York Science Education Group.
This sheet may have been altered from the original. Page 1 of 2
Activity 5.20 Student Sheet
Procedure
1 Decide on a range of temperatures from 5 °C to 35 °C to be tested.
2 Place 2 g of sea salt into a 100 cm3 beaker.
3 Add 100 cm3 of de-chlorinated water and stir until the salt completely dissolves.
4 Label the beaker with the temperature at which it will be incubated.
5 Place a tiny pinch of egg cysts onto a large sheet of white paper.
6 Wet the piece of graph paper using a few drops of salt water. Dab the paper onto the white sheet
to pick up approximately 40 eggs. This will look like a tiny shake of pepper. Use a magnifying
glass to count the eggs. Cut the graph paper so that there are exactly 40 eggs.
7 Put the paper with the 40 eggs into the beaker (eggs-side down). After 3 minutes, use a pair of
forceps to gently remove the paper, making sure that all the egg cysts have washed off into the
water.
8 Repeat steps 2 to 7 for all the temperatures that are to be investigated.
9 If possible, replicate the treatments.
10 Incubate the beakers at the appropriate temperatures. In the ICT Support there is a datalogging
sheet on monitoring temperature in a long-term investigation. Set an alarm to remind you to check
your brine shrimps at the same time on three or four successive days.
11 The next day count the number of hatched larvae in each of the beakers. To do this, place a bright
light next to the beaker. Any larvae will swim towards the light. Using a fine glass pipette,
reversed with the tip inserted into the teat, catch the hatched brine shrimps and place them in a
small beaker of salt water. Repeat the counting daily. Brine shrimps are very delicate and care
must be taken when handling them. Finally, release the young brine shrimps into a salt water
aquarium.
12 Record the number of larvae that have successfully hatched at each temperature.
13 Write-up your experiment making sure your report includes:
 a discussion of any safety precautions taken
 comments on the ethical issues arising from the use of living organisms
 results presented in the most appropriate way
 an explanation of any patterns in the data using evidence from the data and your own
biological knowledge
 details of any statistical analysis of the results
 comments on how valid your conclusion is
 comments on how you ensured that the results obtained in this experiment were accurate and
precise
 suggestions for how you could have improved the quality of your results.
Once you have completed your investigation you could use the Developing Practical Skills Self-
evaluation Sheet to reflect on what you have done in this practical.
Activity 5.20 Teacher Sheet

Purpose
SAFETY
Review the students’ risk assessments and discuss any safety and ethical considerations.
Ensure students wash their hands thoroughly after handling the organisms and before they
leave the laboratory.
Notes on the procedure

If students are given basic information on maintaining brine shrimps, this activity could be planned
before they are given the Student Sheet which provides a detailed procedure. The Student Sheet only
requires students to assess the procedure, and particularly focuses on safety and ethical issues arising
from the use of living organisms. The need to keep conditions other than temperature constant should
be appreciated. Brine shrimps hatch in salt water that is 2 to 5% salt (optimum 2.8%) and pH 8.5.
Oxygen must be present. Light is an added (but not essential) factor for hatching so the brine shrimps
in the refrigerator might be even less successful than expected. Datalogging could be used to check
that the conditions within each of the treatments are maintained at a constant level.
This experiment could be completed by small groups of students. If each group completed the range of
temperatures then the error between replicates could be investigated. Brine shrimps will hatch in 24
hours at temperatures between 28 and 30 °C, with an optimum of 28 °C.
The practical procedure and technical notes are based on an investigation that appears in the British
Ecological Society publication Brine Shrimp Ecology by Michael Dockery and Stephen Tomkins. This
book contains detailed information on the care and breeding of brine shrimps, and can be downloaded
free from the British Ecological Society website.
Activity 5.20 Technician Sheet

Purpose
General note
This practical takes place over several days. The students set up the beakers with eggs to hatch on the
first day. On subsequent days they count the number that have hatched. For detailed guidance on the
care and breeding of brine shrimps see the British Ecological Society publication Brine Shrimp
Ecology. This can be downloaded free from the British Ecological Society website.
Requirements per student or Notes

group of students
Brine shrimp egg cysts Available from pet shops and Blades Biological. There are
approximately 24 000 egg cysts per gram so only tiny quantities are
required. Brine shrimps will breed and produce cysts that can be
collected. They adhere to the sides of an aquarium tank.
100 cm3 beakers (one for each
temperature to be tested)
100 cm3 de-chlorinated water for each Tap water can be de-chlorinated by leaving it to stand for 48 hours.
beaker
2 g sea salt for each beaker Students could be supplied with the salt water already prepared.
Stirring rod
Access to refrigerator
Water baths or incubators (one for A range of temperatures between 5 and 35 C is recommended. The
each temperature to be investigated) optimum for hatching is 28 C.
Sheet of graph paper 3 cm  4 cm
Magnifying glass
Pair of forceps
Bright light A lamp or light from one side, for counting larvae on the second day.
Fine glass pipette For counting larvae on the second day.
Small beaker of salt water For counting larvae on the second day.
Large beaker or tank of salt water To hold the brine shrimps after hatching.

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Activity 5.

THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE

Figure 1 Drawings to show the features of a brine shrimp.

Planning and experimental design

THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE

Notes on the procedure

THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE

Requirements per student or Notes

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