Sea lamprey: Slimy suckers of the Great Lakes

Sea lamprey are slimy vampire fish with a round, suction cup mouth filled with tiny teeth that attach to other fish like lake trout and drink their blood! They are originally from the Atlantic Ocean but invaded the Great Lakes, where they cause big problems. Each year, these hungry sea lamprey kill about 10 million pounds of fish in the Great Lakes. Sea lamprey control is necessary to reduce their numbers and maintain a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem. Although we have found some effective ways to control invasive sea lamprey populations, there are ongoing efforts to further decrease their numbers in the Great Lakes.

Join Dr. Anne Scott from Michigan State University and Dr. Andrea Miehls from Great Lakes Fishery Commission for a live visit to Hammond Bay Biological Station in Michigan. You’ll get a chance to learn more about these slimy creatures, see live sea lamprey up close, and learn about the ongoing research to develop new ways to control this destructive fish and protect one of the largest freshwater ecosystems on Earth.