SUMMARYEncysted embryos (cysts) of the brine shrimp Artemia undergo diapause, a state of profound dormancy and enhanced stress tolerance. Upon exposure to the appropriate physical stimulus diapause terminates and embryos resume development. The regulation of diapause termination and post-diapause development is poorly understood at the molecular level, prompting this study on the capacity of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and nitric oxide (NO) to control these processes. Exposure to H 2 O 2 and NO, the latter generated by the use of three NO generators, promoted cyst development, emergence and hatching, effects nullified by catalase and the NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5,-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO). The maximal effect of NO and H 2 O 2 on cyst development was achieved by 4 h of exposure to either chemical. NO was effective at a lower concentration than H 2 O 2 but more cysts developed in response to H 2 O 2 . Promotion of development varied with incubation conditions, indicating for the first time a population of Artemia cysts potentially arrested in post-diapause and whose development was activated by either H 2 O 2 or NO. A second cyst sub-population, refractory to hatching after prolonged incubation, was considered to be in diapause, a condition broken by H 2 O 2 but not NO. These observations provide clues to the molecular mechanisms of diapause termination and development in Artemia, while enhancing the organism's value in aquaculture by affording a greater understanding of its growth and physiology.