Hypothesis

     If Brittle Starfish are put into an aquarium with substrate choices of cut sponge, sand, small gravel, and large gravel, then they will move to the section of the aquarium with the substrate of sand, because the researcher thinks that sand will be the easiest for the starfish to burrow in.

Significance

Brittle Starfish are important organisms in the ecology and food webs of marine environments. If the preferred habitats of the Brittle Starfish are destroyed, it may affect the marine ecology and its related food web. Knowing the preferred habitat will give conversationalists the needed knowledge to make informed decisions on the manipulation of the marine environment for building docks, bridges, roads, and boat launch ramps without a great impact on the environment. The substrate preference would be helpful to determine how well they survive in this environment.

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to find what type of substrate is preferred by Brittle Starfish.