The parasitic sea lamprey invaded the Great Lakes in the mid-20th Century devastating valuable native fisheries and coastal economies. The USGS’ Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and the Great Lakes Science Center’s Hammond Bay Biological Station, in collaboration with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have been and continue to lead research on sea lamprey control, providing the science to keep sea lamprey populations at bay.
Sea Lamprey Research
Hammond Bay Biological Station
Evaluation of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) as a non-physical deterrent to invasive Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius rusticus)
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) density estimates using environmental DNA surveillance
Survival and metamorphosis of Sea Lamprey in Lake Erie tributaries
Explore our science using the data below.
Data Release for Distribution of Niclosamide Following Granular Bayluscide Applications in Lotic Systems
Behavioral and Reproductive Effects of the Lampricides TFM and TFM:1% Niclosamide on Native Freshwater Mussels - Data Release
Field Evaluation of an Improved Solid TFM Formulation for Use in Treating Small Tributary Streams, data
Determination of the seasonality effect on sea lamprey and TFM efficacy - Year One
Operation of an electrical barrier to block sea lamprey in the Black Mallard, Michigan, detailing stream temperature, conductivity, discharge, electric field intensity, and animals trapped and killed during 2016, 2017, and 2018
Use of an artificial stream to monitor avoidancebehavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and Niclosamide
Lamprey Larvae Carcasses following Exposure to 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) or TFM plus 1% Niclosamide Data
Diel activity of newly metamorphosed juvenile sea lamprey in Carp River, MI 2011, Morpion Stream, Quebec 2014, and an artificial stream at Hammond Bay Biological Station 2014-2015
Assessment of pulsed DC electric field to guide downstream migrating sea lamprey in experimental flume at USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Lab, Turners Falls, MA (December 2013)
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS sea lamprey research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS sea lamprey publications is available from the button below.
Pedigree analysis and estimates of effective breeding size characterize sea lamprey reproductive biology
Estimation of lake-scale stock-recruitment models for Great Lakes sea lampreys
Invasive sea lamprey detection and characterization using interdigitated electrode (IDE) contact sensor
Tissue and salinity specific Na+/Cl− cotransporter (NCC) orthologues involved in the adaptive osmoregulation of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Foreword: Control and conservation of lampreys beyond 2020 - Proceedings from the 3rd Sea Lamprey International Symposium (SLIS III)
Setting and tracking suppression targets for sea lampreys in the Great Lakes
Next-generation lampricides: A three-stage process to develop improved control tools for invasive sea lamprey
Use of an artificial stream to monitor avoidance behavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and niclosamide
Use of an artificial stream to monitor avoidance behavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and niclosamide
Gut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages
Registration and application of sea lamprey pheromones for sea lamprey control in the United States and Canada
Field evaluation of an improved solid TFM formulation for use in treating small tributary streams
- Overview
The parasitic sea lamprey invaded the Great Lakes in the mid-20th Century devastating valuable native fisheries and coastal economies. The USGS’ Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and the Great Lakes Science Center’s Hammond Bay Biological Station, in collaboration with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have been and continue to lead research on sea lamprey control, providing the science to keep sea lamprey populations at bay.
Sea Lamprey ResearchHammond Bay Biological Station
In Partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery CommissionEvaluation of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) as a non-physical deterrent to invasive Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius rusticus)
Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) are invasive crayfish species in nearly all Great Lakes states (https://nas.er.usgs.gov/viewer/omap.aspx?SpeciesID=217). Both species are a concern in Michigan because they can displace native crayfish populations, their feeding behavior reduces habitat for amphibians, juvenile fish, invertebrates, and waterfowl. They...Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) density estimates using environmental DNA surveillance
Sea lampreys are a species that invaded the Great Lakes presumably following the improvements made to the Welland Canal in 1920. First reported in Lake Erie in 1921, sea lampreys subsequently spread rapidly to the upper Great Lakes and had an established spawning population in all of the upper Great Lakes by 1947 (Applegate 1950). Following their introduction, sea lamprey devastated the commercial...Survival and metamorphosis of Sea Lamprey in Lake Erie tributaries
Adult sea lamprey abundance in Lake Erie increased during the past decade, exceeding pre-control levels and causing extensive mortality on some strains of stocked lake trout (Markham 2015). Control agents speculate that this increase may be due to an uncontrolled larval sea lamprey population in the St. Clair River because other known sources of larval sea lampreys are regularly treated with... - Data
Explore our science using the data below.
Data Release for Distribution of Niclosamide Following Granular Bayluscide Applications in Lotic Systems
The granular formulation of Bayluscide [Bayluscide 3.2% Granular Sea Lamprey Larvicide, granular Bayluscide (gB)] is applied in lentic and lotic systems to survey (assessment) and kill (treatment) larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes basin. Granules are spread on the water surface, settle to the sediment surface, and dissolve. The potential risk of niclosamide exposure [5 ChBehavioral and Reproductive Effects of the Lampricides TFM and TFM:1% Niclosamide on Native Freshwater Mussels - Data Release
This study continues our investigations into the effects of lampricides on mussels by extending research into potential effects on behavioral and reproductive endpoints on the plain pocketbook mussel(Lampsilis cardium). We hypothesized that TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4'-nitrophenol) and TFM with Niclosamide (NIC, 2', 5-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide, hereafter TFM:NIC) would reduce the viability of fField Evaluation of an Improved Solid TFM Formulation for Use in Treating Small Tributary Streams, data
This study builds upon work conducted under the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) Technical Assistance Program that was funded to prepare and evaluate an alternative solid formulation of the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) in a laboratory flume. The project aligns within the lampricide theme in the Sea Lamprey Research Program by improving lampricide performance, efficacy, andDetermination of the seasonality effect on sea lamprey and TFM efficacy - Year One
Controlling larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Great Lakes tributaries with of 4-Nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenol (TFM, a lampricide) is essential to reducing the number of spawning-phase sea lamprey, an invasive species capable of collapsing Great Lakes fisheries. An important component of treating streams with lampricide is ensuring that the proper amount of TFM is applied, effectively coOperation of an electrical barrier to block sea lamprey in the Black Mallard, Michigan, detailing stream temperature, conductivity, discharge, electric field intensity, and animals trapped and killed during 2016, 2017, and 2018
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control is achieved in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes by applying lamprey-specific pesticides (lampricide) to habitats containing larval sea lamprey. Lampricide treatments are cheaper and more effective in watersheds where dams block runs of adult sea lamprey and hence limit the distribution of sea lamprey larvae. However, dams impound water and those wiUse of an artificial stream to monitor avoidancebehavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and Niclosamide
AEH-18-Baybar-01_compiled_for_R: CSV file with column headers; Trial Date (date the individual trial took place), Location of SL (where they ended up in the system at the end of trial), Total SL Mort (how many dead SL were found in this location), Total SL (how many SL were found in this location), Treatment type (Control, TFM, or Nic), Mainstream chemical (chem that was in mainstream), Side ChannLamprey Larvae Carcasses following Exposure to 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) or TFM plus 1% Niclosamide Data
To evaluate how bigheaded carps use a restored backwater habitat, their passages into and out of and residency within a backwater was monitored using acoustic telemetry. This dataset describes the results of this study and was used to compare activity of bigheaded carps between species, at a diel scale, among seasons, and how activity related of environmental conditions. Calculation of passagesDiel activity of newly metamorphosed juvenile sea lamprey in Carp River, MI 2011, Morpion Stream, Quebec 2014, and an artificial stream at Hammond Bay Biological Station 2014-2015
These data contain biodata, net catch, and detection records for juvenile sea lamprey sampled in natural streams in Michigan and Quebec, Canada and those stocked into an artificial stream at the USGS Hammond Bay Biological Station for monitoring diel activity. During October 31 through November 9, 2011 scientists collected downstream migrating juvenile sea lamprey from the Little Carp River, MichiAssessment of pulsed DC electric field to guide downstream migrating sea lamprey in experimental flume at USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Lab, Turners Falls, MA (December 2013)
This is a tabular data set that contains records of water velocity, depth, temperature and trial information such as start and stop times and date for experimental trials testing the effect of an electric field on the movement patterns and distribution of juvenile sea lamprey moving downstream in an experimental flume. Distribution is recorded for each individual lamprey as presence (1) or absence - Publications
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS sea lamprey research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS sea lamprey publications is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 46Pedigree analysis and estimates of effective breeding size characterize sea lamprey reproductive biology
The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an invasive species in the Great Lakes and the focus of a large control and assessment program. Current assessment methods provide information on the census size of spawning adult sea lamprey in a small number of streams, but information characterizing reproductive success of spawning adults is rarely available. We used RAD-capture sequencing to genotype sinAuthorsEllen M. Weise, Kim T. Scribner, Jean V. Adams, Olivia Boeberitz, Aaron K. Jubar, Gale Bravener, Nicholas S. Johnson, John D. RobinsonEstimation of lake-scale stock-recruitment models for Great Lakes sea lampreys
Understanding recruitment dynamics is an essential part of effective fisheries management, whether the focus is on conservation, harvest policy development, or invasive species control. We developed a model that estimates lake-wide Ricker stock-recruitment relations for invasive sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in each of the five Laurentian Great Lakes to inform future control efforts. We fit adAuthorsJean V. Adams, Michael L. JonesInvasive sea lamprey detection and characterization using interdigitated electrode (IDE) contact sensor
The ability to monitor invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes is critical to protecting the region’s $ 7 billion USD fishing industry and preserving its biodiversity. Monitoring these invaders requires considerable fieldwork and human power, making remote lamprey detection systems attractive for their continuous monitoring capabilities and potential forAuthorsIan González-Afanador, Hongyang Shi, Christopher Holbrook, Xiaobo Tan, Nelson SepúlvedaTissue and salinity specific Na+/Cl− cotransporter (NCC) orthologues involved in the adaptive osmoregulation of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Two orthologues of the gene encoding the Na+-Cl− cotransporter (NCC), termed ncca and nccb, were found in the sea lamprey genome. No gene encoding the Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter 2 (nkcc2) was identified. In a phylogenetic comparison among other vertebrate NCC and NKCC sequences, the sea lamprey NCCs occupied basal positions within the NCC clades. In freshwater, ncca mRNA was found only in the gillAuthorsAndre Barany-Ruiz, Ciaran S Shaughnessy, Ryan M. Pelis, Juan Fuentes, Juan M Mancera, Stephen D. McCormickForeword: Control and conservation of lampreys beyond 2020 - Proceedings from the 3rd Sea Lamprey International Symposium (SLIS III)
Introduction to the special issue on the 3rd Sea Lamprey International Symposium. The compiled papers in this special issue consist of a combination of syntheses requested in advance of the symposium and perspectives that emerged from the symposium break-out discussions. These written contributions address the symposium goals of updating our understanding of sea lamprey control and research on lamAuthorsRobert L. McLaughlin, Jean V. Adams, Pedro R. Almeida, Jessica Barber, Dale P. Burkett, Margaret F. Docker, Nicholas S. Johnson, Mary L. Moser, Andrew M. Muir, Michael J. Siefkes, Todd B. Steeves, Michael P. WilkieSetting and tracking suppression targets for sea lampreys in the Great Lakes
In response to invasive species, the course of action taken by management agencies often evolves over a range of options from a do-nothing approach to suppression to complete eradication. As a case study of suppression targets, we explore the history of approaches used by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in response to the invasion of the Laurentian Great Lakes by sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinuAuthorsTed Treska, Mark P. Ebener, Gavin Christie, Jean V. Adams, Michael J SiefkesNext-generation lampricides: A three-stage process to develop improved control tools for invasive sea lamprey
Successful integrated management of the invasive predatory sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America is owed largely to the long history of beneficial use of two lampricides: 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide). Ensuring continued successful sea lamprey control necessitates consideration of possible nextAuthorsSteve Lantz, Bob Adair, Jon Amberg, Roger A. Bergstedt, Michael A. Boogaard, Ugo Bussy, Margaret F. Docker, Erin S. Dunlop, Alex Gonzalez, Terrance Hubert, Michael J. Siefkes, Paul Sullivan, Steve Whyard, Michael P. Wilkie, Bradley Young, Andrew M. MuirUse of an artificial stream to monitor avoidance behavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and niclosamide
The lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) has been used in liquid form to control larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Great Lakes tributaries since the late 1950s. In the 1980s a dissolvable TFM bar was developed as a supplemental tool for application to small tributaries as a deterrent to larvae seeking water not activated with TFM. The size, mass, and number of bars needed in sAuthorsNicholas A. Schloesser, Michael A. Boogaard, Todd Johnson, Courtney A Kirkeeng, Justin Schueller, Richard A. EricksonUse of an artificial stream to monitor avoidance behavior of larval sea lamprey in response to TFM and niclosamide
The lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) has been used in liquid form to control larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Great Lakes tributaries since the late 1950s. In the 1980s a dissolvable TFM bar was developed as a supplemental tool for application to small tributaries as a deterrent to larvae seeking water not activated with TFM. The size, mass, and number of bars needed in sAuthorsNicholas A. Schloesser, Michael A. Boogaard, Todd Johnson, Courtney A Kirkeeng, Justin Schueller, Richard A. EricksonGut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages
Sea lamprey (SL; Petromyzon marinus), one of the oldest living vertebrates, have a complex metamorphic life cycle. Following hatching, SL transition into a microphagous, sediment burrowing larval stage, and after 2–10+ years, the larvae undergo a dramatic metamorphosis, transforming into parasitic juveniles that feed on blood and bodily fluids of fishes; adult lamprey cease feeding, spawn, and dieAuthorsPrince P Mathai, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Nicholas S. Johnson, Michael J. SadowskyRegistration and application of sea lamprey pheromones for sea lamprey control in the United States and Canada
Since the identification of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol as a lampricide in the 1950s, control of sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes has largely relied on lampricides, barriers, and traps. Lampricide treatments target larval lampreys in tributaries of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission oversees sea lamprey control efforts and has invested in technologies that may targetAuthorsKim T. Fredricks, Nicholas S. Johnson, Terrance Hubert, Mike SiefkesField evaluation of an improved solid TFM formulation for use in treating small tributary streams
A solid lampricide formulation containing 23% 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) as the active ingredient was developed in the mid-1980s for use in small tributaries of dendritic streams during routine treatments to kill larval sea lamprey. This TFM bar formulation was designed to use a matrix of commercially prepared surfactants that would dissolve and slowly release their TFM payload over anAuthorsJames A. Luoma, Nicholas Robertson, Justin Schueller, Nicholas A. Schloesser, Todd Johnson, Todd J. Severson, Matthew J Meulemans, Erica Muelemans