Project
Physiological and transcriptomic effects of lampricides on lampreys native to the Great Lakes region.
Native lampreys are key members of the Great Lakes ecosystem. As native lampreys have similar biology and lifestyle as sea lamprey, it is foreseeable that they may be disproportionately impacted by sea lamprey control efforts such as lampricides. Evidence addressing this concern is limited, but that which does exists suggests that native lampreys are likely to suffer high levels of mortality from standard lampricide treatments. Notably, both the northern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor) and silver lamprey (I. unicuspus), being listed as Special Concern under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in Canada in part due to their potential vulnerability to lampricides. We will examine sensitivity of larval American brook (Lethenteron appendix), silver lamprey, and northern brook lamprey to lampricides, focusing on the sub-lethal (physiological and transcriptomic) effects of lampricides and the ability of native lampreys to recover from lampricide, and to compare these responses to sea lamprey). This work will address knowledge gaps in the potential adverse effects of lampricide treatments on native lampreys, inform environmental risk assessments of lampricide treatments, and/or point to potential treatment modifications to minimize the impact of lampricides on native lamprey species.