Thesis
Sea lamprey (Pretromyzon marinus) behavioral response to electric fields
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101482
Abstract
Since sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes in the early 1920's, they have negatively impacted native fisheries and posed a formidable threat to the ecosystem. Chemical control has been a popular control method, but due to increasing costs, public perception, and non-target organism effects, there continues a need for an effective, alternative sea lamprey control strategy. Electric barriers have been used for fish control since the 1950's and remain a promising control tool in various applications, though few data exist on species' specific behavioral responses to an electrical field. Understanding these responses paired with a thorough investigation as to how specific electrical variables influence barrier success is imperative to design and operate an effective fish barrier. This study evaluated sea lamprey response to various sizes and strengths of electric fields and attempted to determine minimum effective settings required to prevent passage. Distance traveled and time spent in barrier were measured for each lamprey and proportion passage and incapacitation were determined. Results indicate that barrier length, frequency, voltage gradient, and the interaction between frequency-voltage have a significant linear relationship to distance traveled and time spent in barrier. Zero percent passage could be achieved, as could one hundred percent incapacitation. This study illustrates the importance of considering the distance each sea lamprey is capable of traveling within a barrier to help determine the success of a specific setting, rather than solely relying on a measurement (e.g. proportion) of passage success. Our results show that while a setting may prevent 100% passage, the distances sea lamprey are capable of traveling while trying to pass the barrier can be greater than the barrier length. While voltage and frequency were statistically significant, greater replication is required to strengthen the support for the apparent trends and identify additional variables that explain a greater portion of the observed behavioral response.
Metrics
3 File views/ downloads
10 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Sea lamprey (Pretromyzon marinus) behavioral response to electric fields
- Creators
- Alecia Breann Stewart-Malone
- Contributors
- Stephen M. Bollens (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525198701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis