Syahir Ashri

IB Biology HL – Psillides P5
27/8/10

Investigating the Effect of

Salinity on Brine Shrimp
Natality
Research Question
What is the optimal salinity in which the most brine shrimp eggs
hatch?

Variables
Independent Variable The salinity of the water
Dependent Variable Amount of hatchlings recorded in
one random sample
Control Variables • Amount of water
• Amount of brine shrimp
eggs
• Time allotted for hatching
• Size of samples
• Size of beakers
• Type of salt

Materials
• 4 150ml beakers
• At least 4g of brine shrimp eggs
• 200ml of water
• Stirring rod
• Microscope
• Pipette
• Magnified microscope slide
• Weighing scale
• Filter paper
Procedure
1. Gather 4 150ml beakers and set them aside
2. Measure out 1g of brine shrimp eggs using a weighing scale
and place in one beaker. Make sure filter paper is placed on
the scale before measured and then calibrated to zero.
3. Repeat step 2 until all beakers have 1g of brine shrimp eggs
in them
4. Measure out 50ml of water for each beaker in a graduated
cylinder
5. Pour out measured 50ml in each of the 4 beakers
6. Mark the beakers “Control” “1%” “5%” “10%” in any order
7. Measure out 0.5mg of salt on the weighing scale with filter
paper for the beaker labeled “1%” making the adjusted
salinity 1% higher than the control
8. Measure out 2.5mg of salt on the weighing scale with filter
paper for the beaker labeled “5%” making the adjusted
salinity 5% higher than the control
9. Measure out 5mg of salt on the weighing scale with filter
paper for the third beaker labeled “10%” making the adjusted
salinity 10% higher than the control
10. Stir equally all if not most of the salt is dissolved for all
three beakers
11. Set all four beakers aside together in a controlled area
for 24 hours, preferably where there is some amount of
sunlight.
12. Set out a microscope to observe amount of hatchlings
after 24 hours
13. Place a drop of water from one the beakers onto a
magnified microscope slide and put it under the microscope
14. Turn the microscope on and observe it using 1x
magnification
15. Record how many hatchlings there are
16. Pour drop back into beaker
17. Wipe the slide and make sure it is dry
18. Repeat for the other three beakers
19. Using a graduated cylinder measure out 1ml of water
from one of the beakers
20. Pour carefully onto the microscope slide
21. Place it under the microscope and record how many
hatchlings there
22. Repeat steps 19 – 21 for the other 3 beakers
Raw Data
Table 1.1 Amount of hatchlings in a 1-drop random sample
Beaker Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Average
Control 1 4 2 3 2.75
1% Salinity 0 1 4 2 1.75
5% Salinity 0 1 4 7 3
10% 0 0 0 0 0
Salinity

Table 1.2 Amount of hatchlings in a 1ml random sample

Beaker Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Average
Control 12 16 14 9 12.75
1% Salinity 8 11 9 12 10
5% Salinity 16 10 15 14 13.75
10% 0 0 0 0 0
Salinity

Processed Data
To calculate an average of how many hatchlings there are in 50 ml,
take the average hatchlings in 1ml, which is for example 12.75, and
multiply by 50.
12.75 * 50ml = 637.5 hatchlings in one beaker of 50ml of water.

Table 1.3 Calculated averages of brine shrimp in 50ml of the water

in beaker
Beaker Average number of Calculated average
hatchlings in 1ml number of hatchlings in
50ml
Control 12.75 637.5
1% Salinity 10 500
5% Salinity 13.75 687.5
10% Salinity 0 0

Graph 1.1 Average amount of organisms in 1ml of water as salinity

of water increases

Contro 1% 5% 10%
l Salinity Salinity Salinity
Conclusion
Using the evidence gathered, one can say that the optimal salinity is
the control, though arguably speaking the 5% salinity did manage to
have a higher average of brine shrimp in a 1ml sample. The data
shows that around 12.75 organisms seem to be the average number
of organisms one will find in a 1ml sample of 50ml. The trend shows
that as the salinity increases the number of organisms found
decreases but as it goes to 5% it rises up again with an average of
13.75 organisms per 1ml drop in a total of 50ml. Increasing the
concentration again will result in an extremely unsuitable
environment for the brine shrimp, as the data suggests, which
shows 0 brine shrimp hatched. Looking at the calculated total
population of brine shrimp hatchlings in the beaker, the difference
in hatchlings from the control beaker to the 5% salinity beaker is
about 50 hatchlings, further implying that the 5% salinity is much
more suitable for the brine shrimp. Though to be fair, the unusual
trend of a decrease and then a sudden increase shows there could
be signs of error that made it seem like the data was showing 5%
was a much more optimized environment for the brine shrimp,
therefore, there could some source of error, despite a clear
indication of higher hatchlings.

Evaluation
Source of Error Impact on Results Improvements
Outlier values in Because only 4 trials Take more trials to
trials were taken there even out possible
would have been a outliers
high chance that one
value, which was an
outlier could have a
significant impact on
 the averages making
the processed data
seem higher or lower
than expected
Pipette not fully Pipettes not fully Use different pipettes
empty drained and washed for different beakers
could contain some or ensure that the
brine shrimp in them pipette is clean by
which could then be inspecting the inside
put on a next slide, before carrying on
causing a higher with the experiment
amount of brine
shrimp for one trial.
Brine shrimp not Since the movement Make sure the
counted properly of the shrimp is microscope is on 1x
likely, counting the so that the full view
shrimp again or not of the drop can be
counting the shrimp seen and the brine
at all could be very shrimp can be
likely, resulting in a tracked.
higher or lesser
count of brine
shrimp.
Where the pipette In different locations When using the
was being used to of the beaker there pipette to gather
gather was not the was a higher a lower water, after each
same concentration of drop or sample is
brine shrimp, so if a taken, drain it all out
pipette was used to and gather the water
take water from one again from a
area and in another different location in
beaker it was more the same beaker to
concentrated with make sure that every
brine shrimp this sample is more
could cause uneven random and from
recording of data. different locations of
the beaker.
Measurements not When measuring out Use a tool to scrape
precise the weight of the off the rest brine
brine shrimp or salt, shrimp or salt off of
the filter paper that it the filter paper.
was measured had a
little residue of the
salt and brine shrimp
resulting in the
amount being put in
less than actually
planned.