Images

Long-range autonomous underwater vehicle 'Tethys' upon retrieval after a 400 km mission in Lake Michigan to collect the environmental DNA (bits of DNA drifting in the environment) of pelagic prey fish through a partnership between the USGS Great Lakes Science Center and the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Photo Credit: Peter Esselman, USGS.

Fish in a holding net waiting to be measured following an electrofishing survey of Sevenmile Creek in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Photo credit: James Roberts, USGS.

A slimy sculpin from Miners Creek in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Photo credit: James Roberts, USGS.

A paddle through wetlands at Fish Point State Game Area in Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. Photo credit: Wes Bickford, USGS.

Scales, fin rays and lateral line of a Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) found in the hydrologically restored wetlands of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge near Saginaw, Michigan. Photo credit: Sasha Bozimowski, USGS.

A partner field technician with the USFWS-Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge throws a bait cast net in front of the ARIS sonar unit. Photo Credit: Alexandra (Sasha) Bozimowski, USGS.

A submerged leopard frog in a stand of Phragmites at Quanicassee State Wildlife Area in Bay City, Michigan. Photo credit: Danielle Snow, USGS.

A USGS sampling area in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. Photo credit: Edward Kostelnik, USGS.

A nearshore view of Lake Huron and surrounding landscape. Photo credit: Edward Kostelnik, USGS.

USFWS and University of Michigan assist with collecting macroinvertebrate samples from a restored coastal wetland at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: Alexandra (Sasha) Bozimowski, USGS.

Water sample collections in the Marquette Lagoon within Indiana Dunes National Park as part of an algal metabarcoding study to help address eutrophication or undesirable algae within the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern. Photo credit: Ashley Spoljaric, USGS.

An electrofishing catamaran rests on the berm surrounding Maankiki Marsh - Center Unit, the most recent wetland unit at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge near Saginaw, Michigan, to be reconnected to the local waterway. Photo credit: Sasha Bozimowski, USGS.

Landscape view of two researchers walking through the emergent vegetation zone of a Great Lakes coastal wetland. Photo Credit: Alexandra (Sasha) Bozimowski, USGS.

Light trails of LED-tagged sea lampreys, part of a study of sea lamprey sex pheromone antagonists, altered pheromone cocktails that can disrupt spawning behavior.

A light trail of an LED-tagged sea lamprey, part of a study of sea lamprey sex pheromone antagonists, altered pheromone cocktails that can disrupt spawning behavior.

Sea lampreys spawning in a stream during a study that tested how sea lamprey sex pheromone antagonists influenced spawning behavior.

Spawning sea lampreys tagged for a study of sea lamprey sex pheromone antagonists.

In addition to investigating chemosensory cues such as pheromones and alarm cues, researchers are also testing antagonists—compounds that specifically block a sea lamprey’s ability to detect pheromones—as a means to disrupt mating. Shown here is an experiment with an antagonist in a natural stream.

Sea lampreys attached to lake trout in a tank at Hammond Bay Biological Station.

A sea lamprey tagged with a red LED light as part of a study of sex pheromone antagonists, altered sex pheromone compounds that can interfere with sea lamprey spawning.

A collage of images taken by UGS-GLSC employees during the 2020 field season.