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Fishery and Sea Resourcestranscriptional level, playing a central rolein cellular homeostasis as one of the protectivemechanisms against stressors [18].In coelomocytes obtained from polluted areas,either urban or industrial, a two-foldincrease in hsp70 levels was observed [9].Sea urchin coelomocytes have been laterused for monitoring environmental stressin campaigns that took place in June 2003and July 2004, in the frame of the EU 5thFP Project “Research on EnvironmentalDamage caused by Chemical OrdnanceDumped at sea”, leaded by Istituto Centraleper la Ricerca scientifica e tecnologicaApplicata al Mare. The projectaimed to evaluate potential damage causedby the 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and itsdegradation/hydrolysis products from corrodedbombs dumped at sea. The site wasthe Protected Marine Area of the Tremitiarchipelago in the Southern AdriaticSea, Italy. Specimens of P. lividus seaurchin were collected along the Pianosa Islandseabed, full of conventional ordnanceremains of the World War II, and werecompared with specimens collected in anot impacted site of the same archipelago(Caprara Island). We found a higher numberof red amoebocytes and high hsp70levels in those specimens collected aroundPianosa [19].Confirming what obtained with seaurchins, interesting findings came fromstudies on coelomocytes of the sea starAsteria rubens collected in a Norwegianfjord during a campaign held in May–June2000, by Drs. Coteur and Dubois (Universityof Belgium). The sampling site wasextremely interesting because it housedsome zinc and titanium/iron smelters locatedat the head of the fjord, allowing theformation of a natural heavy metal gradient.The environmental contaminationcorrelated with the accumulation of Cd,Pb, Zn and Cu in tissues of sea stars livingalong the metal gradient [20]. In agreement,we later found that the increase ofhsp70 levels in sea star coelomocytes weredirectly related to the heavy metal levelsmeasured in the animal tissues.3.2 Stratospheric campaignsUV-B radiation (280–320 nm), the mostdetrimental to biological systems, can penetrateclear sea water up to 20 meters ormore, depending on constituents which aredissolved in sea water [21]. Therefore, inaddition to the well known damages causedto humans, deleterious effects of exposureto UV-B have been also observed in marineorganisms, especially those that do notpossess specialized protective tissues. Ingeneral, the major concern after exposureto ionizing radiation is the genomic damagethey can cause, although cells have developeda complex defence system able tocope with harmful radiation [22]. Our interestin studying effects of ionising radiationoriginated thanks to our involvementin two campaigns co-sponsored by theCNR and the Italian Space Agency (ASI),which took place in 2000-2001, aimed toanalyse the effects of BIological Radiationon BAllon flights (BIRBA and BIRBA 1campaigns). Stratospheric balloons representan alternative and/or a significantmatch to Satellites or International SpaceStations; balloon launches were operatedfrom the ASI Base located in Trapani-Miloand reached the INTAS Base of Huelva.The aim of our project was to study theeffects of UV-B on sea urchin embryos infield experiments carried out on a specialdevice loaded on a payload fixed to balloonswhich reached the stratosphere (over40.000 meters above the Earth), thus exposingsea urchin embryos directly to UV-1970