Latest news with #GreatLakesFisheryCommission
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Weather station buoy generates real-time data globally
PLATTSBURGH — The Lake Champlain Research Institute on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus was buoyed by a $700,000 grant used to purchase and install a high-tech weather station that is giving graduate and undergraduate students access to real-time data previously out of reach. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission funding of nearly $1 million has allowed the institute and its director, Dr. Timothy Mihuc, SUNY service professor in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science, to obtain the weather station that sits on a buoy in Lake Champlain off Cumberland Head to study weather-driven events and how those affect the lake's thermal structure, he said. The high-tech station and lake profiler joins the institute's first unit, placed on the buoy south of Valcour Island. This new unit, installed last week, sends probes far below the lake's surface that can allow researchers on campus and around the world the ability to monitor changes to the temperatures of the water. The data buoy makes a cell phone call hourly, transfers the data that Mihuc and his crew capture on a computer in the LCRI and then push out live to their GitHub site. 'Technology is fun, and this is really a fun, high-tech piece of equipment,' he said. 'IT on campus has been great in helping us with computer support to handle this data and push it out live.' Mihuc said the applications for this technology are great in terms of research, 'but the public makes use of the data collected and posted as well.' 'It's popular with the boating and sailing community,' he said. '(The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) makes use of our data on its National Buoy Data Network, where you can click and see (ours) along with all the others around the world.' Mihuc said they've retrieved significant initial data already, 'especially how the lake responds to these storm events,' he said. 'It's a very dynamic lake; it changes a lot. We're having more and more frequent storms, and it's important to understand the lake systems. 'We're going out, doing management checks — this buoy checks waves, wind and the thermal profile,' which anglers can use to know where to set their fishing lines,' he added. 'The sailing and boating community uses these checks.' Mihuc said the older buoy, deployed in 2016 by former CEES assistant professor Dr. Eric Leibensperger, an associate professor at Ithaca College who still helps Mihuc with the project, can't compete with the amount of data available collected from the new unit, which gives them thousands of profiles. The Valcour data buoy continues to provide previously unavailable data on the lake in real time. But it's almost 10 years old, and technology changes rapidly. The new unit isn't without its drawbacks: Maintenance can be a huge operation, Mihuc said. 'And, it has to be pulled out of the water in winter. If it ices over, it'll destroy our buoy,' he added. Mihuc said the buoys afford SUNY Plattsburgh students myriad opportunities, supporting masters' level research studies for students in the natural resources and ecology master's program and undergrad students in a variety of ways. 'The LCRI is always involving students in research,' he said. 'It's a very busy summer for our students.' Students go out on the lake aboard the research vessel R/V Gruendling, a more than 30-year-old boat in need of drydocking. But thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, a new 36-feet vessel is under construction, $50,000 more was awarded to equip the boat, which is set for launch in fall 2026. 'The current vessel was already 5, 6 years old when I arrived in summer 1999,' Mihuc said. 'It's time to retire it. I'm happy to help make that happen.' For more information on the Lake Champlain Research Institute, contact Mihuc at 518-564-3039 or email mihuctb@ Solve the daily Crossword
Economic Times
27-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
What's slithering beneath the Great Lakes has 150 teeth, a serrated tongue, and a ruthless hunger that could collapse the entire ecosystem
Canadian and US agencies are collaborating to combat the invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes, aiming to protect the $5.1-billion fishery. Control measures, including lampricides and barriers, are being implemented after a surge in lamprey populations due to pandemic-related disruptions and staffing cuts. Sustained efforts are crucial to prevent further damage to native fish and the regional economy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What are sea lampreys? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The 'Trump' factor The invasive sea lamprey , often dubbed 'vampire fish" for its bloodsucking predation, has prompted Canadian and US agencies to launch a joint campaign to protect the Great Lakes ' $5.1-billion freshwater crews initiated treatments in late April, focusing on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario , with operations expected to continue through methods employed include lampricides (chemical treatments), traps, and barriers aimed at reducing the sea lamprey population, which parasitically feeds on lampreys, native to the Atlantic Ocean, were inadvertently introduced into the Great Lakes via shipping canals in 1921. Lacking natural predators in this new environment, they have wreaked havoc on native fish populations. Using their mouths, equipped with 150 teeth and a serrated tongue, they latch onto prey, often killing up to 40 pounds of fish during their parasitic COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue. Travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021 forced crews to pause treatments, allowing millions of lamprey larvae to survive.A new study confirms that lamprey numbers rose sharply during this period. In 2024, adult sea lamprey counts were 8,619 above pre-COVID-19 averages, with Lake Superior and Lake Ontario experiencing the most significant Baker, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, emphasized the urgency:'Ongoing, consistent sea lamprey control is critically important for preventing damage to Great Lakes fish by invasive sea lampreys. If we take our foot off the gas, even for a short while, sea lamprey populations will increase rapidly and cause considerable damage to fish.'The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, established in 1955, has been instrumental in reducing sea lamprey populations by 90 percent in most areas of the Great Lakes. Their integrated control program combines several methods to attack sea lampreys on multiple primary method involves applying the lampricide TFM to target sea lamprey larvae in their nursery tributaries. In the concentrations used, TFM kills larvae before they develop lethal mouths and migrate to the lakes to feed on fish, while most other organisms are Trump administration's mass purge of federal workers, including 12 members of the Great Lakes sea lamprey control program, has raised concerns about the program's efficacy. These staffing cuts represent nearly 14 percent of the lamprey control program's overall workforce, potentially allowing over 1 million lamprey to survive, consuming nearly 5 million pounds of fish and resulting in $105 million in lost economic these setbacks, control efforts have resumed. Scientists and officials warn that the damage done during the pause will take years to Great Lakes Fishery Commission continues to stress the importance of sustained efforts to safeguard the prosperity of the region.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
What's slithering beneath the Great Lakes has 150 teeth, a serrated tongue, and a ruthless hunger that could collapse the entire ecosystem
The invasive sea lamprey , often dubbed 'vampire fish" for its bloodsucking predation, has prompted Canadian and US agencies to launch a joint campaign to protect the Great Lakes ' $5.1-billion freshwater fishery. Control crews initiated treatments in late April, focusing on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario , with operations expected to continue through October. The methods employed include lampricides (chemical treatments), traps, and barriers aimed at reducing the sea lamprey population, which parasitically feeds on fish. What are sea lampreys? Sea lampreys, native to the Atlantic Ocean, were inadvertently introduced into the Great Lakes via shipping canals in 1921. Lacking natural predators in this new environment, they have wreaked havoc on native fish populations. Using their mouths, equipped with 150 teeth and a serrated tongue, they latch onto prey, often killing up to 40 pounds of fish during their parasitic stage. Live Events The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue. Travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021 forced crews to pause treatments, allowing millions of lamprey larvae to survive. A new study confirms that lamprey numbers rose sharply during this period. In 2024, adult sea lamprey counts were 8,619 above pre-COVID-19 averages, with Lake Superior and Lake Ontario experiencing the most significant increases. Ethan Baker, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, emphasized the urgency: 'Ongoing, consistent sea lamprey control is critically important for preventing damage to Great Lakes fish by invasive sea lampreys. If we take our foot off the gas, even for a short while, sea lamprey populations will increase rapidly and cause considerable damage to fish.' The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, established in 1955, has been instrumental in reducing sea lamprey populations by 90 percent in most areas of the Great Lakes. Their integrated control program combines several methods to attack sea lampreys on multiple fronts. The primary method involves applying the lampricide TFM to target sea lamprey larvae in their nursery tributaries. In the concentrations used, TFM kills larvae before they develop lethal mouths and migrate to the lakes to feed on fish, while most other organisms are unaffected. The 'Trump' factor The Trump administration's mass purge of federal workers, including 12 members of the Great Lakes sea lamprey control program, has raised concerns about the program's efficacy. These staffing cuts represent nearly 14 percent of the lamprey control program's overall workforce, potentially allowing over 1 million lamprey to survive, consuming nearly 5 million pounds of fish and resulting in $105 million in lost economic output. Despite these setbacks, control efforts have resumed. Scientists and officials warn that the damage done during the pause will take years to reverse. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission continues to stress the importance of sustained efforts to safeguard the prosperity of the region.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Invasive, parasitic fish in Great Lakes thrived during COVID-19
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A study has revealed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on an invasive parasitic fish that wounds and kills Great Lakes native species like lake trout, whitefish, ciscoes, and walleye. According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the sea lamprey feeds on the blood and fluids of other fish by attaching itself with its sharp tongue. The aquatic pest has been wreaking havoc since entering the region from the Atlantic Ocean more than 150 years ago. Experts note that one sea lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish in its parasitic stage. At its most prolific nearly 75 years ago, almost 2.5 million sea lampreys killed 100 million pounds of fish annually. Watch: JD Vance fumbles Buckeyes' national championship trophy In the 1950s, a sea lamprey control program began, which led to populations plummeting to about '10% of their historic highs.' However, COVID-era travel restrictions impeded efforts to reduce or eliminate the creature. Study authors, who published their findings in the journal 'Fisheries,' sought to discover if sea lampreys still 'posed a threat to Great Lakes fisheries' or if 'sea lamprey control [was] still necessary to suppress their populations.' 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,' said Dr. Nick Johnson, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-author on the study. 'When the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced sea lamprey control for two years, our research team made the most of the situation by using it as an unplanned experiment to learn valuable information — nearly impossible to obtain otherwise — about the current impact of control on sea lamprey populations.' The team of 15 scientists found that reductions in applying lampricide, a 'pesticide highly selective to lampreys,' in 2020 and 2021 allowed the organism's population to explode. Marion named nation's Strongest Town 'Like a coiled spring, sea lamprey populations bounced back quickly when control was relaxed,' said Dr. Ben Marcy-Quay, a fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the lead author of the study. 'Wounding on Chinook and coho salmon, specifically, increased over 10-fold. Our findings support observations by the fishing public and fishery managers of fish riddled with sea lamprey wounds, some containing three or more wounds per fish.' The Great Lakes Fishery Commission asserted that study results confirm that continued vigilance against the sea lamprey is necessary to protect 'Great Lakes fish and the valuable fisheries they support.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Great Lakes Fishery Commission applauds Trump's interest in Asian carp migration prevention
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission says it is hopeful that efforts to prevent Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes will continue as planned, given this week's discussion at the White House. During Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's visit to the Oval Office Wednesday, there was a discussion among her, President Trump, and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall about the need to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes waters. The fisheries commission said Friday that it lauded those efforts, saying it had "renewed hope that key projects, like the one underway at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, will be completed as planned." The commission has been involved in bipartsan efforts to deal with the ecological situation. "Asian carps would devastate the Great Lakes fishery if they were allowed to enter the system," said Commission Chairman Ethan Baker, who is also the Mayor of Troy, Michigan. "We must do everything we can to keep them out. The multi-billion-dollar fishery is at stake." "Asian carp" collectively refers to three species of fish — bighead, silver and black carp —that are native to Asia and originally raised for food. They were also considered a means to keep water free of algae and other vegetation. Such fish escaped accidentally into public waterways in the southern United States decades ago. They are now considered an invasive species, eating massive quantities of food. Fisheries experts say it takes only a few fish for a population to settle into a region. "We have every reason to be deeply worried about Asian carp," Baker said. "The carps have decimated the fisheries in every waterway they have invaded already — primarily the Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers.". An electrical barrier was placed near Romeoville, Illinois, to prevent the carp from migrating further. The next major project is a retrofitting of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Michigan and Illinois have already contributed state funding, the project has bipartisan support from Congress. Baker said the commission is "very much encouraged by the president's promise to act."
