(Press-News.org) EAST LANSING, Mich. — A repellant for sea lampreys could be the key to better controlling one of the most destructive invasive species in the Great Lakes, says a Michigan State University researcher.
Scientists have seen the effect alarm cues have on lampreys. When scents from dead sea lampreys are poured into a tank of live ones, the lampreys' efforts to escape are dramatic. In the past, these reactions were simply dismissed as novel. But Michael Wagner, MSU assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife, sees this reaction as a potential game changer.
"Sea lampreys are one of the most costly and destructive Great Lakes' invaders," said Wagner, who published his results in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. "The effectiveness of the odor combined with the ease in which it's obtained suggests that it will prove quite useful in controlling sea lampreys in the Great Lakes."
Discovering an effective repellant puts research to control sea lampreys on a new path.
Scientists had proven that the destructive species rely on the odor emitted by past generations of larvae to navigate into streams with suitable spawning grounds. Upon arrival, another odor emitted by mature males lures females onto nests to complete spawning. Based on these observations, existing research has fully focused on using pheromones to attract sea lampreys into traps. Once caged, they are destroyed or sterilized and released back into the wild so they can be tracked but cannot reproduce.
But with many scent and environmental cues in natural waterways, using pheromones to attract sea lampreys doesn't always work. On the other hand, repellants – even in miniscule amounts – may prove to be much more effective in diverting and corralling them, Wagner said.
"It's kind of like a stop light, a noxious odor that causes them to run away from its source," he said. "By blocking certain streams with these chemical dams, sea lampreys can be steered away from environmentally sensitive areas and into waterways where pesticides could be used more effectively to eliminate a larger, more concentrated population of sea lampreys."
This approach would allow agencies that control invasive species to save money, use less pesticide and manage other resources more efficiently to have a bigger impact on controlling the invasive species, Wagner added.
"Thanks to this exciting new research on alarm substances, we believe we are on track to bring sea lamprey control to a whole new level," said Robert Lambe, chairperson of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
###
Wagner is continuing his research to isolate the exact chemical compound that causes the alarm. His work is supported by MSU's AgBioResearch and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
Sea lampreys fear the smell of death
2011-08-06
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Did past climate change encourage tree-killing fungi?
2011-08-06
The demise of the world's forests some 250 million years ago likely was accelerated by aggressive tree-killing fungi triggered by global climate change, according to a new study by a University of California, Berkeley, scientist and her Dutch and British colleagues.
The researchers do not rule out the possibility that today's changing climate could cause a similar increase in pathogenic soil bacteria that could devastate forests already stressed by a warming climate and pollution.
The study, available online today (Aug. 5), will be published in the September 2011 print ...
Colorado Considers Increased Consequences for Hit-and-Run Drivers
2011-08-06
Hit-and-run accidents are appalling and shameful. It's bad enough to carelessly run into someone. But it's even worse to leave the scene without checking on the health and safety of the people in the other vehicle.
The Colorado legislature is looking to crack down on such cowardice. Colorado lawmakers are working with victims of hit-and-run car accidents to develop specific proposals for bills that would toughen the consequences for leaving the scene of an accident.
Consequences for Hit-and-Runs
Under present law, jail time is not mandatory for hit-and-run convictions. ...
Scientist urges government ruling on genetically engineered salmon
2011-08-06
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A Purdue University scientist is urging federal officials to decide whether genetically engineered salmon would be allowed for U.S. consumption and arguing that not doing so may set back scientific efforts to increase food production.
William Muir, a professor of animal sciences, said that based on data made available by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, AquAdvantage (AA) salmon poses little real risk to the environment or human health. AA salmon were given a gene from Chinook salmon that speeds growth and improves feed efficiency in farm-raised ...
GOES-13 Satellite watches Emily fizzle, morph and hope for a comeback
2011-08-06
VIDEO:
GOES-13 satellite imagery in 15 minute intervals from Aug. 3 at 15:15 UTC (11:15 a.m. EDT) to August 8 and shows Emily forming east of Hispaniola (bottom right) and moving...
Click here for more information.
A new animation from the GOES-13 satellite shows the creating and morphing of what was once Tropical Storm Emily into an elongated area of low pressure over the Caribbean Sea.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13 provides continuous ...
Obama Administration Ups Enforcement Against Alleged Health Care Fraud
2011-08-06
A number of large federal health care programs have been vulnerable to fraud for years. Although there is no way to accurately measure the exact financial impact of undetected fraud, officials estimate that abuses of health care initiatives cost billions of dollars every year.
In the current climate of slow economic growth and tight government budgets, officials are making concentrated efforts to trim waste. For the Obama administration, this means taking a hard line on healthcare fraud. New enforcement measures have resulted in a significant number of fines, penalties ...
NASA sees Typhoon Muifa almost twice as big as Tropical Storm Merbok
2011-08-06
In one image, NASA's Aqua satellite captured two tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific today, Tropical Storm Merbok and the large Typhoon Muifa. NASA Satellite imagery shows that Muifa is almost twice as big as Merbok.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured Typhoon Muifa near Okinawa, Japan and Tropical Storm Merbok, farther east in the western Pacific at 4:35 UTC (12:35 a.m. EDT) on August 5, 2011. By having the storms side-by-side in one image, it is much easier to see how Merbok is a lot less ...
U.S. Supreme Court Decides Seatbelt Case
2011-08-06
On February 23, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. The Court considered whether federal regulations governing vehicle safety standards preempt state product liability claims for failure to install three-point, lap-and-shoulder style seat belts in the back seats of vehicles. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that such state claims were not barred, allowing litigation against Mazda to continue.
Background
The claims in Williamson arose from a 2004 car crash involving a 1993 Mazda MPV mini-van. Thanh Williamson ...
Recognizing Signs of Elder Abuse
2011-08-06
Elder abuse is a real danger for many in their golden years. Growing awareness of the issue nationally has brought to light some horrific acts perpetrated by caregivers at long-term care facilities. As more baby boomers retire and need extended care, it will become a central issue affecting senior citizens in the United States. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) reports that more than one million Americans over the age of 65 have experienced some type of abuse, neglect or exploitation by caregivers. Most victims of elder abuse suffer in silence. For every one case ...
NASA sees warmer cloud tops in infrared imagery of Tropical Storm Eugene
2011-08-06
Warmer cloud top temperatures mean that cloud heights in a tropical cyclone are dropping and the storm doesn't have as much power to push them higher in the atmosphere. That's what NASA infrared satellite imagery has revealed about Tropical Storm Eugene this morning.
During the very early morning hours (Eastern Daylight Time) on August 5, Eugene was still hurricane strength. Then the storm ran into cooler waters and a more stable atmosphere, weakening into a tropical storm.
That weakening was confirmed in satellite imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) ...
Think Outside the Box When Creating a Visitation Agreement
2011-08-06
For a divorcing parent, especially the non-custodial parent, there may be nothing more important than ensuring that the relationships with his or her children are maintained. By devising a visitation schedule that best reflects the needs of all involved, those relationships can be maintained and grown.
Standard Visitation Schedule
A standard visitation schedule -- also called a possession schedule -- is offered in the Texas Family Code. For parents who live within 100 miles of each other, the standard schedule for a child age three or older provides for visitation ...