Biology
The Ecological Significance of Ephemeral Vernal Pools
Quick fact
Vernal pools are home to species found nowhere else on Earth—like fairy shrimp, whose eggs can lie dormant in the dry soil for years, hatching only when the pool fills again.
Why this is interesting
Every spring, small ponds appear after the rain, full of tiny shrimp and salamanders—then vanish by summer, leaving only cracked mud. How can life thrive in a place that disappears?