Sea Lamprey, an Invasive Fish

Invasive sea lamprey prey on commercially important fish species such as lake trout, living off of the blood and body fluids of adult fish. It is one of many fish species that USGS scientists study from the USGS Research Vessel Muskie. These lamprey belong to the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.

The R/V Muskie was temporarily moored in Buffalo, N.Y., August 8 and 9, 2013. It enables researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center's Lake Erie Biological Station to explore the health and population of biological organisms in Lake Erie. Such research is used by federal, state, and tribal resource managers to protect the area's $7 billion annual commercial and sport fisheries. The Muskie provides a safe and reliable platform for scientists, and is equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation to improve the understanding of deep-water ecosystems and fishes in Lake Erie for ecological management purposes.