GLIN==> Great Lakes Fishery Commisson Research: Sea Lamprey

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AUGUST 23, 2010

NEWS RELEASES:  SEA LAMPREY

GREAT LAKES FISHERY COMMISSION SPONSORED RESEARCH

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is pleased to inform you about the completion of several research projects related to the Great Lakes sea lamprey and sea lamprey control.  A summary of the research, and links to a complete news release, are below.

Synthesized sex pheromones lure lampreys into traps - New research supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission suggests sea lamprey pheromones could be a new weapon in the battle to control the destructive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.  Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hammond Bay Biological Station believe that sea lampreys emit pheromones to attract mates and to indicate suitable spawning areas.  The general attributes of pheromones--naturally occurring, species-specific, effective at low concentrations, and environmental benign-make them ideal candidates for use in sea lamprey control. By applying synthetically produced pheromones to streams, sea lamprey control specialists have enhanced the effectiveness of lamprey traps and may one day be able to disrupt sea lamprey spawning patterns.  Recently approved funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will support further advances in this research. . . . [complete release at www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_3.pdf<http://www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_3.pdf>]

THE CALL OF THE CHILD:  SEA LAMPREY SPAWNING BEHAVIOR FOLLOWS LARVAL ODOR-Because a migrating sea lamprey dies after spawning, it makes one final crucial decision: where should I deposit my offspring? According to new research supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, pheromones emitted by larval lamprey living in stream sediment reach into the lakes where adult sea lamprey feed and announce the presence of good habitat.  Sea lamprey, an invasive species from the Atlantic Ocean which have become a noxious predator on the Great Lakes, spend much of their lives as tiny, blind larvae buried in a streambed.  By chemically broadcasting their location to spawning adults, future generations are assured they too will be dropped off in a good neighborhood . . . [complete release at www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_7.pdf<http://www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_7.pdf>]

IT'S BETTER TO EAT AT A CROWDED TABLE:  Critical factors affecting sea lamprey recruitment identified - Sea lamprey populations can rebound from low densities if streambed conditions are favorable for spawning, scientists at Michigan State University concluded recently in a study supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.  The research, which helps to identify the stream characteristics important to survival of young sea lampreys, will help sea lamprey control managers effectively adjust the rate and timing of different control methods based on environmental conditions. . . . [complete release at www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_2.pdf<http://www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_2.pdf>]

Sea lamprey time THEIR spawning migration to narrow Temperature range- Research supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is the first to test directly the effect of temperature on the migratory activities of sea lampreys, a factor that could help sea lamprey control experts time their activities to occur when the lampreys are concentrated at their highest.  The sea lamprey is a noxious, invasive pest in the Great Lakes that decimates fish populations when uncontrolled.  Since the 1950s, with the formation of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the commission and its partners have reduced sea lamprey populations by 90% in many areas of the Great Lakes, helping the fishery recover.  This research provides the commission with valuable information about the sea lamprey's behavior that can be exploited for better control. . . . [complete release at www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_1.pdf<http://www.glfc.org/pressrel/pr100823_1.pdf>]







The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is an international organization established by the United States and Canada through the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries.  The commission has the responsibility to support fisheries research, control the invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes, and facilitate implementation of A Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries, a provincial, state, and tribal fisheries management agreement.  To learn more about the commission and its research program, visit www.glfc.org<http://www.glfc.org/>.


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