Project
Tracking the onset of juvenile sea lamprey parasitism: can a new, smaller micro-acoustic tag succeed where the ELAT failed?
We still know very little about how juvenile sea lamprey transition to their parasitic feeding stage. Key questions remain: What fish do they target? How long do they feed? How do they behave, survive, and move after migrating into the Great Lakes? Answering these could help assess their impact on fisheries and improve control efforts. In 2023, we tested a small acoustic tag (ELAT) to track their early feeding behaviour. However, the tag’s size negatively affected the lamprey, reducing their ability to attach to hosts by 41% and cutting growth by about 75% over 30 days. A new, smaller tag (AST) has been recently developed weighing 37% less than the ELAT. This lighter tag could be the solution for effective tracking without impacting the sea lamprey behaviour. Building on established testing methods, we’ll now assess the AST’s impact on juvenile sea lamprey. If successful, this could finally make acoustic tracking a practical tool for studying their behaviour in the Great Lakes.\r\n