Project
Physiological and behavioural effects of tagging post-metamorphic sea lamprey with a micro acoustic tag
Virtually nothing is known about the feeding behaviour or movements of parasitic juvenile sea lamprey following their downstream migration into the Great Lakes. Such information would better inform sea lamprey damage estimates to fisheries and improve sea lamprey control strategies. Key to such efforts is the ability to track these animals after they complete their downstream migration and enter river mouths and lakes. The new eel and lamprey acoustic tag (ELAT) shows promise in being able to track juvenile sea lamprey in rivers. However, to establish this tag as a valid monitoring tool for the early feeding behaviour of juvenile sea lamprey, we must ensure that it does not cause significant disturbances to the animals, which could alter their behaviour. We assembled a team of international experts on fish tracking and lamprey physiology to examine the tagging effects on the physiology and behaviour of juvenile sea lamprey in a 2-year study. Our ultimate goal is to justify and support the use of this tag to track sea lamprey juveniles as they enter the Great Lakes, to uncover new control possibilities for this invasive species.