3/10/11

Due to being sick today, unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to school today, so I wasn't able to take data.

3/9/11

Today I decided not to do a third trial, I figured I could get more data for the second trial and would talk about possible experimental error in my summary and presentation. I know some are mating, and I am not sure but I might have seen some small brine shrimp swimming around, I didn't include them in the population, because I wasn't sure if it was jus some yeast floating. Today I also saw some zoomed in images of a live brine shrimp using the microscope.

Results for today:

• 4 alive in 5 ppt
• 12 alive in 35 ppt
• 15 alive in 87
• 10 alive in 100 ppt

3/8/11

Everything is the same, a few are mating in each tank, none have repopulated though. One thing that puzzles me is that now the 87 ppt is doing a lot better than the 35 ppt as opposed to the first trial where the 35 was doing the best. I feel there was some experimental error like maybe I fed them wrong the first time, the difference from yeast and the liquid. I might do a third trial starting tomorrow to find out which trial is more accurate.

Results for today:

• 9 in 5 ppt
• 12 in 35 ppt
• 16 in 87 ppt
• 9 in 100 ppt

3/7/11:

I arrived in class today, to find that a few had died in each tank, I figure from the lack of food over the weekend. The 5 ppt has the least amount of brine shrimp (as I expected), but everything other tank has about the same amount. The data taken today:

• 9 in 5 ppt
• 14 in 35 ppt
• 15 in 87 ppt
• 13 in 100 ppt

3/5/11

Yesterday was friday, and I started mu second trial, because all the brine shrimp died in the tank with 5 ppt. Now I added 20 brine shrimp to all four tanks today.

This is my lab report right now, but I plan on updating the procedure, and making a data analysis but this is what I have now, and for some reason the trial two isn't showing the date.

Data Table Trial 1

Date	number of brine shrimp in 5 ppt	number of brine shrimp in 35 ppt	number of brine shrimp 87 ppt	number of brine shrimp in 100 ppt	observations
2/16/11 Day 1	20	20	20	20	The Brine Shrimp are spaced out a lot in the tank and all are of them are alive.
2/17/11 Day 2	20	20	20	20	The same as yesterday none dead, no more born. All tanks doing good.
2/22/11	5	20	10	12	They are dying. I don’t know if it is from a lack of food over the 4 day weekend or the ppt level. It doesn’t look like they repopulated yet.
2/23/11	4	20	11	10	The ones in the higher ppt look like they can’t quite swim as fast. Some are mating but not many have repopulated yet.
2/24/11	4	20	8	10	It all looks just like it did yesterday.
2/25/11	1	20	8	10	Everything is still the same none of them are repopulating.
2/28/11	1	20	8	10	Everything is the same but I ran out of the normal Brine Shrimp food and now I am just feeding them yeast.
3/2/11	0	18	8	10	They all died in the tank with 5 ppt so I will empty the water today and Mrs. Weissman will order some new brine shrimp.
3/3/11	0	18	8	9	Today I got new water for the Brine Shrimp in tank 1 (5 ppt) I will let it stay out overnight and put the shrimp in tomorrow. Everything else is the same.

Data Table Trial 2

Date	Alive in 5 ppt	Alive 35 ppt	Alive in 87 ppt	Alive in 100 ppt	Observations
3/4/11	20	20	20	20	I started a new trial, I placed 20 brine shrimp in each tank today.

Matt Skolnick’s Experimental Design

Experimental Question:

Does the amount of salinity affect the Brine Shrimp population growth?

Hypothesis:

If salinity affects brine shrimp, then if the levels of salinity are changed then the population of brine shrimp will change.

Independent Variable:

Salinity level (ppt)

Dependant Variable:

Brine Shrimp Population

List of Materials:

• · Four 1 gallon tanks

• · A sink or place to get freshwater

• · A refractometer

• · About 80 brine shrimp (20 per tank)

• · Instant Ocean

• · 3,500 mL beaker

• · 500 mL beaker

• · Mixing Rod (can be ruler popsicle stick spoon)

• · Brine Shrimp food

• · Saran wrap

Procedure:

1. 1. Using the 3,500 mL beaker, fill each 1 gallon fish tank with approximately 3,500 mLs of freshwater (water with no salt) straight out of the tap or sink.

2. 2. Then measure out the Instant Ocean with the 500 mL beaker. (118 mLs of Instant Ocean when placed in 3,500 mLs of water will make approximately a ppt of 35).

3. 3. You will need 4 tanks and one tank should have 5 ppt of salt, the next one 35 ppt, another with 87 ppt, and the final with 100 ppt. Estimate the amount of Instant Ocean needed per tank and then dump the Instant Ocean into each tank.

4. 4. Using the mixing rod, stir thoroughly to make sure that the Instant Ocean is mixed in well with the water.

5. 5. Using the refractometer, calibrate it by putting the freshwater on the top of it and look through the scope while it is pointed at the light. On the right side it will say the ppt and make sure it is at zero if not adjust it by turning the screw in top until it reads 0 ppt.

6. 6. Then after it is calibrated dip the refractometer into each tank to make sure they have the amount of salt they need.

7. 7. If there is not a high enough ppt simply add more salt, if there is too much dump some water out of the tank and add more freshwater.

8. Then when you have the ppt levels exactly where you need them to be, let tanks stay out overnight in a room temperature room to make sure the temperature of the water is room temperature.

9.

Make sure that each tank is positioned to receive the same amount of light and heat.

10. The next day place 20 brine shrimp into each tank.

11. Cover the top of the tanks with saran wrap so the water does not evaporate.

12. Poke holes in the saran wrap to let in some oxygen and so you can put food in.

13. Feed the brine shrimp daily.

14. Count the brine shrimp per tank for the first few days until it becomes too difficult.

15. When it becomes too difficult to count all of the ones in the tank, take a 50 mL sample from the tank and count the ones in there and multiply it by 700 to get an estimate how many are in the whole tank.

16. Do step 15 for all three tanks.