The Effect of Artificial Light Type on Vertical Migration Habits of Artemia salina

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

10th Grade

Presentation Topic

Environmental Science

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

Artificial light at night (ALAN) alters the natural light cues used by marine zooplankton for diel vertical migration, potentially disrupting ecological interactions in coastal environments (Tidau et al., 2023). This experiment investigated the effect of three common artificial light types (white incandescent, white fluorescent, and white LED) versus no light on the vertical migration behavior of Artemia salina. It was hypothesized that LED light would cause the most significant change in the vertical distribution of Artemia salina due to its higher proportion of blue-wavelength light, which penetrates water more deeply and disrupts natural light cues. Thirty brine shrimp were placed into graduated cylinders divided into five depth regions of 3 inches each and were exposed to each light condition for 20 minutes. Across 30 trials per condition, the region containing the highest concentration of shrimp was recorded by photographing and observing the graduated cylinders after the 20-minute exposure period. It was observed that Artemia salina consistently migrated to the same upper region of the water column regardless of light type. These findings indicate that, in this experimental setup, light type did not cause measurable differences in vertical distribution. Since each artificial light type emits wavelengths known to penetrate and disrupt marine environments, the consistent behavior of brine shrimp emphasizes the ecological risks posed by the increasing widespread use of artificial light sources. Understanding these relationships supports future efforts to minimize the ecological consequences of ALAN.

Location

Furman Hall 208

Start Date

3-28-2026 10:15 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 28th, 10:15 AM

The Effect of Artificial Light Type on Vertical Migration Habits of Artemia salina

Furman Hall 208

Artificial light at night (ALAN) alters the natural light cues used by marine zooplankton for diel vertical migration, potentially disrupting ecological interactions in coastal environments (Tidau et al., 2023). This experiment investigated the effect of three common artificial light types (white incandescent, white fluorescent, and white LED) versus no light on the vertical migration behavior of Artemia salina. It was hypothesized that LED light would cause the most significant change in the vertical distribution of Artemia salina due to its higher proportion of blue-wavelength light, which penetrates water more deeply and disrupts natural light cues. Thirty brine shrimp were placed into graduated cylinders divided into five depth regions of 3 inches each and were exposed to each light condition for 20 minutes. Across 30 trials per condition, the region containing the highest concentration of shrimp was recorded by photographing and observing the graduated cylinders after the 20-minute exposure period. It was observed that Artemia salina consistently migrated to the same upper region of the water column regardless of light type. These findings indicate that, in this experimental setup, light type did not cause measurable differences in vertical distribution. Since each artificial light type emits wavelengths known to penetrate and disrupt marine environments, the consistent behavior of brine shrimp emphasizes the ecological risks posed by the increasing widespread use of artificial light sources. Understanding these relationships supports future efforts to minimize the ecological consequences of ALAN.