Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Space Shuttle Exhaust Plumes On Gills Of Some Estuarine Fishes: A Light And Electron Microscopic Study, William E. Hawkins, Robin M. Overstreet, Mark J. Provancha

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The first few launches of the space shuttle resulted in fish kills in a lagoon near the launch site. To study this phenomenon further, sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) were exposed to the exhaust plume in buckets placed near the launch site. An open bucket provided a full exposure, a partly closed one provided an intermediate exposure, and a closed one was the control. Three h after launch, the pH of the water from the full exposure had decreased from about 7 to about 3, Al and …