Our developmental biology class drove to Moss Landing estuary and dug in the brackish mud flats in search of organisms including inn-keeper worms, clams, and ghost shrimp.  These flats have a high density of ghost shrimp, so with enough perseverance and shovel-digging we were more than able to find a few gravid females.  

We plopped the gravid females into a bucket with sea water and drove them back to the marine station, where they were placed in a giant water table temporarily so the eggs could develop.  We started with 7 ghost shrimp, and the numbers quickly dropped to 4 in a matter of a week, so there is evidence of possible aggression towards one another, or the conditions we placed them in are suboptimal for their health.  

Using a glass pipette, I extracted a few eggs from a gravid female and placed them in a dish with filtered sea water to keep clean. 

I am glad this is temporary, because I do not think the ghost shrimp are enjoying this time away from the mud.  They aren't happy like           guy, at least.