Effects on Fish Reproduction 
It is clear that prevalences of certain diseases are higher in bottom¬ 
dwelling fish fran the chemically contaminated areas of Puget Sound, 
caipared to similar species fron minimally contaminated areas. Field 
studies have recently been conducted to evaluate if ejqxDSure to conta¬ 
minated envirorments affects the reproductive capacity of bottcmfish 
species. 
In one series of investigations with English sole, we collected gravid 
females frcm contaminated sites and minimally contaminated sites, and 
induced them to spawn in the laboratory. The eggs were fertilized with 
pooled suspensions of sperm from several males. The mean percentages of 
eggs fertilized during this procedure was significantly (p£0.05) Icwer 
for eggs (37+27%) from females with one or more serious liver lesions 
than those for eggs (52+30%) frcm females with no detectable liver lesions 
(Figure 11). Similarly, the mean percentage of viable larvae produced by 
fertilized eggs was significantly (p£0.05) lower for eggs (24+22%) frcm 
females with one or more types of liver lesions coirpared with those of 
eggs (34+25%) frcm, apparently, "lesion free" sole (Fig. 13). 
In cin ongoing study, adult (>30cm) female English sole are collected 
throughout the prespawning period for two consecutive cycles at 
contaminated sites (the EXiwamish Waterway and Eagle Harbor), minimally 
contaminated sites (near Sinclair Inlet), and at a reference site (Port 
Susan). Three types of measurements are used to evaluate ovarian 
development; (1) the presence or absence of signs of vitellogenesis [a 
stage of oocyte development characterized by the appearance of yolk 
globules (Wallace and Selman 1981)] in the ovaries, as determined by 
histological examination; (2) plasma concentrations of estradiol; and (3) 
gonadosomatic index (GSI), the weight of the ovary divided by the fish's 
body weight — results to date show that females frcm contaminated sites 
with one or more serious liver lesions had significantly (p£0.05) lower 
GSI values (4.9+4.12) than did females with no detectable lesions (6.5 + 
5.1). Additional biochemical and chemical parameters measured are: 
activities of hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (HXME), 
concentrations of PCBs in liver and ovary, and concentrations of aromatic 
compounds in bile. In a complementary laboratory study, sediment extracts 
are administered to gravid female sole to gauge the subsequent reproductive 
success of the fish. Both field and laboratory studies use fertilization 
success (eggs fertilized/eggs spawned) and hatchability (eggs successfully 
hatched/eggs fertilized) to determine the reproductive viability of the 
sole's eggs. Evaluation of the results from this two year study should 
provide in-depth information on whether contaminant exposure impairs 
reproductive processes in English sole. 
Conclusions 
Wb have clearly demonstrated that bottcmfish frcm a few localized areas 
in Puget Sound near urban centers or other areas receiving heavy inputs 
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