What's New White River sees return of sea lamprey larvae The Grand Rapids Press (2/7) After seven years of being lamprey free, the upper White River is back on the federal list of troubled waters. The upper river from White Cloud downstream to Hesperia Dam is home to 115,000 sea lamprey larvae.
Overview
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are predaceous, eel-like fish native to the coastal regions of both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. They entered the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal about 1921. They contributed greatly to the decline of whitefish and lake trout in the Great Lakes. Since 1956, the governments of the United States and Canada, working jointly through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have implemented a successful sea lamprey control program.
This series of pictures shows a close-up of a lamprey's mouth, lampreys attached to a lake trout, and the damage resulting from a lamprey attack.
Photo Credit: 1 and 4: Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Exotic Species Graphics Library; 2: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 3: Great Lakes Fishery Commission. For more photos, see the Sea Lamprey Fishtank.
General Resources Lampricide Reduction: A High Priority in the Sea Lamprey Battle (PDF - page 4) From Ohio Sea Grant's Twine Line The Great Lakes Fishery Commission and its agents decided several years ago to reduce lampricide use by 50 percent by the year 2001, for three main reasons: commitment to healthy ecosystems, economics, and the need to integrate the pest management program. The commission is more than half way to reaching this reduction goal.
Petromyzon marinus U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Nonindigenous occurrences, means of introduction, and impact of the Sea Lamprey.
Sea Lamprey University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute This fact sheet gives a brief description of the sea lamprey.
Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Sea Grant Nonindigenous Species Site (SGNIS) Includes scientifically reviewed articles as well as images from Sea Grant researchers.
Sea Lamprey Control Program Great Lakes Fishery Commission The GLFC's program of integrated sea lamprey management includes lampricide control, construction of barriers in streams to deny sea lampreys' entry, and an experimental program to reduce spawning success by releasing sterilized-male sea lampreys. The program has successfully allowed the re-emergence of the largest freshwater fishery in the world.
Sea Lamprey Factsheet U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Great Lakes Science Center Outlines the impacts of Sea Lamprey populations in the Great Lakes, research and treatments to protect native fish populations.