Nicholas S Johnson, PhD
Nicholas Johnson is a Research Ecologist based in Millersburg, MI.
I study fisheries with a focus on invasive species control and native species restoration in the Great Lakes. My work links the experimental sciences of sensory ecology, physiology, and behavior with applied fish population dynamics and adaptive management to inform policy. I became a research ecologist with USGS, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station in 2009, serve in adjunct appointments at several universities in Michigan, and am an assoicate editor of the Journal of Great Lakes Research. My research is mostly in collaboration with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission where I am a member of several Task Forces and Coordinator of the Supplemental Sea Lamprey Control Initative. Research brings me the most joy when done with students and when my neighbors in Northern Michigan understand why it matters.
Professional Experience
Acting Station Supervisor, USGS, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station 03Jan11 to 12Sep11 and 18Jan2020 to 01Feb2021
Coordinator of Supplemental Sea Lamprey Control Initative, 2019- present
Advised or co-advised 15 graduate students/USGS interns
SCUBA Dive Team Member. USGS. 19Aug11 to present
Member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Sea Lamprey Trapping Task Force, 2012 – present
Cheboygan River Sea Lamprey Work Group member. 2012 to present
Member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Sea Lamprey Reduction in Reproduction Task Force, 2009-2012
Member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Sea Lamprey Assessment Task Force, 2009-2011
Member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Sea Lamprey Barrier Task Force, 2010-present
Education and Certifications
Ph. D., Michigan State University, Dec 2008
Dual degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program
M.S., Michigan State University, Dec 2005
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
B.S., summa cum laude, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, May 2004.
College of Natural Resources
Majors: Fisheries/Limnology and Biology
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Evaluating potential artefacts of photo-reversal on behavioral studies with nocturnal invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus L., 1758) are nocturnal, so experiments evaluating their behaviour to chemosensory cues have typically been conducted at night. However, given the brief timeframe each year that adult P. marinus are available for experimentation, we investigated whether P. marinus exposed to a 12 h shifted diurnal cycle (reversed photoperiod) could be tested in a darkened arena dur
Authors
Matthew Barnett, Istvan Imre, C. Michael Wagner, Richard T. Di Rocco, Nicholas S. Johnson, Grant E. Brown
Factors influencing capture of invasive sea lamprey in traps baited with a synthesized sex pheromone component
The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, is emerging as a model organism for understanding how pheromones can be used for manipulating vertebrate behavior in an integrated pest management program. In a previous study, a synthetic sex pheromone component 7α,12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3kPZS) was applied to sea lamprey traps in eight streams at a final in-stream concentration of 10−12
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Michael J. Siefkes, C. Michael Wagner, Gale Bravener, Todd Steeves, Michael Twohey, Weiming Li
Female sea lamprey shift orientation toward a conspecific chemical cue to escape a sensory trap
The sensory trap model of signal evolution hypothesizes that signalers adapt to exploit a cue used by the receiver in another context. Although exploitation of receiver biases can result in conflict between the sexes, deceptive signaling systems that are mutually beneficial drive the evolution of stable communication systems. However, female responses in the nonsexual and sexual contexts may becom
Authors
Cory O. Brant, Nicholas S. Johnson, Ke Li, Tyler J. Buchinger, Weiming Li
Evidence that sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) complete their life cycle within a tributary of the Laurentian Great Lakes by parasitizing fishes in inland lakes
The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the upper Laurentian Great Lakes and feeds on valued fish. The Cheboygan River, Michigan, USA, is a large sea lamprey producing tributary to Lake Huron and despite having a renovated dam 2 km from the river mouth that presumably blocks sea lamprey spawning migrations, the watershed upstream of the dam remains infested with larval sea lamprey. A navigati
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Michael B. Twohey, Scott M. Miehls, Tim A Cwalinski, Neal A Godby, Aude Lochet, Jeffrey W. Slade, Aaron K. Jubar, Michael J. Siefkes
Behavioural response of adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to predator and conspecific alarm cues: evidence of additive effects
Sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus, an invasive pest in the Upper Great Lakes, avoid odours that represent danger in their habitat. These odours include conspecific alarm cues and predator cues, like 2-phenylethylamine hydrochloride (PEA HCl), which is found in the urine of mammalian predators. Whether conspecific alarm cues and predator cues function additively or synergistically when mixed together
Authors
Richard T. Di Rocco, Istvan Imre, Nicholas S. Johnson, Grant B Brown
Quantification of 15 bile acids in lake charr feces by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Many fishes are hypothesized to use bile acids (BAs) as chemical cues, yet quantification of BAs in biological samples and the required methods remain limited. Here, we present an UHPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous, sensitive, and rapid quantification of 15 BAs, including free, taurine, and glycine conjugated BAs, and application of the method to fecal samples from lake charr (Salvelinus namaycus
Authors
Ke Li, Tyler J. Buchinger, Ugo Bussy, Skye D. Fissette, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming Li
Behavioral evidence for a role of chemoreception during reproduction in lake trout
Chemoreception is hypothesized to influence spawning site selection, mate search, and synchronization of gamete release in chars (Salvelinus spp.), but behavioral evidence is generally lacking. Here, we provide a survey of the behavioral responses of reproductive male and female lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to natural conspecific chemosensory stimuli. A flow-through laboratory assay with side
Authors
Tyler J. Buchinger, Weiming Li, Nicholas S. Johnson
Application of a putative alarm cue hastens the arrival of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) at a trapping location
The sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus is an invasive pest in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, threatening the persistence of important commercial and recreational fisheries. There is substantial interest in developing effective trapping practices via the application of behavior-modifying semiochemicals (odors). Here we report on the effectiveness of utilizing repellent and attractant odors in a push
Authors
John B. Hume, Trevor D. Meckley, Nicholas S. Johnson, Thomas M Luhring, Michael J Siefkes, C. Michael Wagner
A pheromone outweighs temperature in influencing migration of sea lamprey
Organisms continuously acquire and process information from surrounding cues. While some cues complement one another in delivering more reliable information, others may provide conflicting information. How organisms extract and use reliable information from a multitude of cues is largely unknown. We examined movement decisions of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus L.) exposed to a conspecific and an
Authors
Cory O. Brant, Ke Li, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming Li
A sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) sex pheromone mixture increases trap catch relative to a single synthesized component in specific environments
Spermiating male sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) release a sex pheromone, of which a component, 7α, 12α, 24-trihydoxy-3-one-5α-cholan-24-sulfate (3kPZS), has been identified and shown to induce long distance preference responses in ovulated females. However, other pheromone components exist, and when 3kPZS alone was used to control invasive sea lamprey populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes, t
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, John A. Tix, Benjamin L. Hlina, C. Michael Wagner, Michael J. Siefkes, Huiyong Wang, Weiming Li
Guiding out-migrating juvenile sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) with pulsed direct current
Non‐physical stimuli can deter or guide fish without affecting water flow or navigation and therefore have been investigated to improve fish passage at anthropogenic barriers and to control movement of invasive fish. Upstream fish migration can be blocked or guided without physical structure by electrifying the water, but directional downstream fish guidance with electricity has received little at
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Scott M. Miehls
Investigations of novel unsaturated bile salts of male sea lamprey as potential chemical cues
Sulfated bile salts function as chemical cues that coordinate reproduction in sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. 7α, 12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3kPZS) is the most abundant known bile salt released by sexually mature male sea lampreys and attracts ovulated females. However, previous studies showed that the male-produced pheromone consists of unidentified components in addition to
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Sang-Seon Yun, Weiming Li
Non-USGS Publications**
Johnson, N.S., Yun, S-S., Thompson, H.T., Brant, C.O., Li, W. 2009. A synthesized pheromone induces upstream movement in female sea lamprey and summons them into traps. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 106: 1021-1026.
Johnson, N.S., Luehring, M.A., Siefkes, M.J., Li, W. 2006. Pheromone induced behavior and pheromone reception in ovulating female sea lampreys. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 26: 88-96.
Johnson, N.S., Siefkes M.J., Li, W. 2005. Capture of ovulating female sea lampreys in traps baited with spermiating male sea lampreys. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25: 67-72.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Filter Total Items: 112Evaluating potential artefacts of photo-reversal on behavioral studies with nocturnal invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus L., 1758) are nocturnal, so experiments evaluating their behaviour to chemosensory cues have typically been conducted at night. However, given the brief timeframe each year that adult P. marinus are available for experimentation, we investigated whether P. marinus exposed to a 12 h shifted diurnal cycle (reversed photoperiod) could be tested in a darkened arena durAuthorsMatthew Barnett, Istvan Imre, C. Michael Wagner, Richard T. Di Rocco, Nicholas S. Johnson, Grant E. BrownFactors influencing capture of invasive sea lamprey in traps baited with a synthesized sex pheromone component
The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, is emerging as a model organism for understanding how pheromones can be used for manipulating vertebrate behavior in an integrated pest management program. In a previous study, a synthetic sex pheromone component 7α,12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3kPZS) was applied to sea lamprey traps in eight streams at a final in-stream concentration of 10−12AuthorsNicholas S. Johnson, Michael J. Siefkes, C. Michael Wagner, Gale Bravener, Todd Steeves, Michael Twohey, Weiming LiFemale sea lamprey shift orientation toward a conspecific chemical cue to escape a sensory trap
The sensory trap model of signal evolution hypothesizes that signalers adapt to exploit a cue used by the receiver in another context. Although exploitation of receiver biases can result in conflict between the sexes, deceptive signaling systems that are mutually beneficial drive the evolution of stable communication systems. However, female responses in the nonsexual and sexual contexts may becomAuthorsCory O. Brant, Nicholas S. Johnson, Ke Li, Tyler J. Buchinger, Weiming LiEvidence that sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) complete their life cycle within a tributary of the Laurentian Great Lakes by parasitizing fishes in inland lakes
The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the upper Laurentian Great Lakes and feeds on valued fish. The Cheboygan River, Michigan, USA, is a large sea lamprey producing tributary to Lake Huron and despite having a renovated dam 2 km from the river mouth that presumably blocks sea lamprey spawning migrations, the watershed upstream of the dam remains infested with larval sea lamprey. A navigatiAuthorsNicholas S. Johnson, Michael B. Twohey, Scott M. Miehls, Tim A Cwalinski, Neal A Godby, Aude Lochet, Jeffrey W. Slade, Aaron K. Jubar, Michael J. SiefkesBehavioural response of adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to predator and conspecific alarm cues: evidence of additive effects
Sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus, an invasive pest in the Upper Great Lakes, avoid odours that represent danger in their habitat. These odours include conspecific alarm cues and predator cues, like 2-phenylethylamine hydrochloride (PEA HCl), which is found in the urine of mammalian predators. Whether conspecific alarm cues and predator cues function additively or synergistically when mixed togetherAuthorsRichard T. Di Rocco, Istvan Imre, Nicholas S. Johnson, Grant B BrownQuantification of 15 bile acids in lake charr feces by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Many fishes are hypothesized to use bile acids (BAs) as chemical cues, yet quantification of BAs in biological samples and the required methods remain limited. Here, we present an UHPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous, sensitive, and rapid quantification of 15 BAs, including free, taurine, and glycine conjugated BAs, and application of the method to fecal samples from lake charr (Salvelinus namaycusAuthorsKe Li, Tyler J. Buchinger, Ugo Bussy, Skye D. Fissette, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming LiBehavioral evidence for a role of chemoreception during reproduction in lake trout
Chemoreception is hypothesized to influence spawning site selection, mate search, and synchronization of gamete release in chars (Salvelinus spp.), but behavioral evidence is generally lacking. Here, we provide a survey of the behavioral responses of reproductive male and female lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to natural conspecific chemosensory stimuli. A flow-through laboratory assay with sideAuthorsTyler J. Buchinger, Weiming Li, Nicholas S. JohnsonApplication of a putative alarm cue hastens the arrival of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) at a trapping location
The sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus is an invasive pest in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, threatening the persistence of important commercial and recreational fisheries. There is substantial interest in developing effective trapping practices via the application of behavior-modifying semiochemicals (odors). Here we report on the effectiveness of utilizing repellent and attractant odors in a pushAuthorsJohn B. Hume, Trevor D. Meckley, Nicholas S. Johnson, Thomas M Luhring, Michael J Siefkes, C. Michael WagnerA pheromone outweighs temperature in influencing migration of sea lamprey
Organisms continuously acquire and process information from surrounding cues. While some cues complement one another in delivering more reliable information, others may provide conflicting information. How organisms extract and use reliable information from a multitude of cues is largely unknown. We examined movement decisions of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus L.) exposed to a conspecific and anAuthorsCory O. Brant, Ke Li, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming LiA sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) sex pheromone mixture increases trap catch relative to a single synthesized component in specific environments
Spermiating male sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) release a sex pheromone, of which a component, 7α, 12α, 24-trihydoxy-3-one-5α-cholan-24-sulfate (3kPZS), has been identified and shown to induce long distance preference responses in ovulated females. However, other pheromone components exist, and when 3kPZS alone was used to control invasive sea lamprey populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes, tAuthorsNicholas S. Johnson, John A. Tix, Benjamin L. Hlina, C. Michael Wagner, Michael J. Siefkes, Huiyong Wang, Weiming LiGuiding out-migrating juvenile sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) with pulsed direct current
Non‐physical stimuli can deter or guide fish without affecting water flow or navigation and therefore have been investigated to improve fish passage at anthropogenic barriers and to control movement of invasive fish. Upstream fish migration can be blocked or guided without physical structure by electrifying the water, but directional downstream fish guidance with electricity has received little atAuthorsNicholas S. Johnson, Scott M. MiehlsInvestigations of novel unsaturated bile salts of male sea lamprey as potential chemical cues
Sulfated bile salts function as chemical cues that coordinate reproduction in sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. 7α, 12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3kPZS) is the most abundant known bile salt released by sexually mature male sea lampreys and attracts ovulated females. However, previous studies showed that the male-produced pheromone consists of unidentified components in addition toAuthorsNicholas S. Johnson, Sang-Seon Yun, Weiming LiNon-USGS Publications**
Johnson, N.S., Yun, S-S., Thompson, H.T., Brant, C.O., Li, W. 2009. A synthesized pheromone induces upstream movement in female sea lamprey and summons them into traps. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 106: 1021-1026.Johnson, N.S., Luehring, M.A., Siefkes, M.J., Li, W. 2006. Pheromone induced behavior and pheromone reception in ovulating female sea lampreys. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 26: 88-96.Johnson, N.S., Siefkes M.J., Li, W. 2005. Capture of ovulating female sea lampreys in traps baited with spermiating male sea lampreys. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25: 67-72.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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