WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- A fire leveled Purdue University's aquaculture research and training center early Sunday, destroying several species of fish and thousands of fish eggs.
No one was injured, but Purdue officials said the fire dealt a setback to research on preserving wild species and improving Indiana's aquaculture industry.
Crews from three departments fought the fire that started about 3 a.m. for several hours, according to a Purdue news release. The cause was under investigation Sunday.
The fire also destroyed tanks and scientific equipment in the $1 million building, which opened in 1992. Purdue spokesman Joseph L. Bennett said it would be difficult to estimate the value of the lost research.
Among the fish lost were several lake sturgeon raised for research into ways to save the endangered species from the sea lamprey, an invasive parasite that preys on several important fish in the Great Lakes.
Purdue administrators have begun work on a plan for helping graduate students continue their studies and a preliminary plan for a new aquaculture center, the release said.
