It took 14 years to complete. The most commonly known are the brine shrimp which live in salt water. Until a few years ago, the brine shrimp were believed to be of a single species, but scientists now know that there are a number of different species. Freshwater fairy shrimp occur in vernal pools, puddles and cow paddies. They appear in large numbers in the spring when rain softens the mud and fills the pools.
Some species also have a fall cycle.
These eggs are cyst-like and can survive extreme environmental conditions of heat or cold. Some eggs may be in the ground for years before there are suitable environmental conditions. Oh yes, and they are less than two inches long. Many of them are only an eighth of an inch. You use a microscope.