Lake Michigan’s sea lamprey population has dramatically increased over the last few years, forcing some biologists to find innovative ways to deal with the invasive fish species. The scientists leading the effort are from Michigan State University, who first noticed the invasive species after it began devastating Lake Michigan’s sensitive ecosystem. The Michigan State University experts have developed a system they call “FishPass,” which prevents sea lampreys from passing through certain areas while allowing fish to travel freely throughout Lake Michigan and the surrounding waterways.
The primary reason behind the development of FishPass is the behavior of sea lampreys, which rapidly destroy fish populations while maturing. According to some experts, a single sea lamprey can kill more than 40 pounds of fish before it reaches maturity. Sea lampreys use their eel-shaped bodies and rows of teeth to catch other fish and latch onto them, eventually killing them by sucking out the host fish’s bodily fluids. Due to the graphic method of hunting utilized by sea lampreys, some biologists have compared the invasive species to the mythological vampire.
Experts believe FishPass could start limiting sea lampreys’ movement and help prevent further ecological devastation due to how the system insulates local fish populations from the vampiric fish. FishPass allows native fish to travel freely throughout the area, but it captures sea lampreys attempting to enter the environment. Despite experts believing FishPass could help end the sea lamprey’s destruction of native fish populations, some biologists aren’t entirely convinced of the program’s efficacy.
According to one such expert, Michael Wagner, FishPass is a unique project without a precedent to rely on. Wagner seemed excited about the proposed system but clarified that experts have never attempted to create a system that functions like FishPass. While the experts from Michigan State University are the latest group to tackle the sea lamprey’s invasiveness, their effort comes as part of a $20 million proposal to help restore the area’s waterways. The effort also includes a plan to destroy several dams that have caused fish populations to migrate, and experts believe that reconnecting the now separated waterways could also prove necessary for Lake Michigan’s fish populations’ survival.
