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In: AIS outreach, Great Lakes, sea lamprey, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Visitors to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc can now get up close and personal with one of the Great Lake’s most infamous invasive fish, the sea lamprey. The new exhibit, entitled “Attack of the Sea Lampreys,” was made possible through a collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and tells the story of how sea lamprey were introduced to the Great Lakes, their impact and the ongoing efforts to manage them.

The entrance to "Attack of the Sea Lamprey," a new exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

The entrance to “Attack of the Sea Lampreys,” a new exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Photo: Kevin Cullen

Chief curator Kevin Cullen and the education team revamped an invasive species lab on the museum’s lower level to house the new exhibit. The space was largely dormant and full of locked cabinets. Said Cullen, “People would just pass by it, so it became a really good opportunity to enhance a space that was already there.”  

The redesigned space provides a more interactive, sensory experience. Visitors can now open the cabinet doors to find answers to questions about sea lamprey, such as how many eggs they lay or bones they have. Content is written at a middle-school reading level, and many items are meant to be touched and handled, making the exhibit ideal for kids and families.

The irrefutable stars of the show, however, are the lamprey. Thanks to support and a custom-built tank from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, museum-goers can enjoy watching over a dozen lamprey hanging out, their toothy maws suctioned to the side of the glass.

Cullen said initial feedback has been positive. “[Visitors] love it. I think they’re creeped out by these things and fascinated to see them.”

The creep factor is due largely to how sea lamprey feed. A parasitic fish, sea lamprey latch onto larger fish and suck out blood and body fluids. Their mouths are disc-shaped and ringed with rows of horned teeth to better grab flesh. Once suctioned onto a host, sea lamprey then use their sharp tongue to bore a hole in the fish, usually near its heart. A single lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish.

A sea lamprey suctions on to the walls of a glass tank. Its mouth is disc-shaped with circular rows of teeth.

A sea lamprey suctions its mouth onto the walls of a glass tank at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Photo: Kevin Cullen

For many, the story of sea lamprey is the stuff of nightmares—or at least a low-budget horror film. Titus Seilheimer, the fisheries specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant who helped the museum secure the lamprey tank, hopes the exhibit helps visitors see another story.

“It’s one of the great success stories of invasive species management,” said Seilheimer.

Originally from the Atlantic Ocean, sea lamprey arrived in the Great Lakes via shipping canals, landing in Lakes Michigan and Superior by the 1930s and 1940s. By the mid-twentieth century, the lamprey population exploded, devastating the Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem. It wasn’t until the discovery of TFM, a chemical that selectively kills lamprey, that numbers decreased.

The population of sea lamprey is now 90% lower than what it was at its peak. But because lamprey can lay up to 100,000 eggs, that success is tenuous. Said Seilheimer, “If you take your foot off the gas, you see lamprey numbers increase.” Continuous management is required to keep the population in check.

The exhibit is a reminder of how humans have shaped and continue to shape the Great Lakes ecosystem. Said Cullen, “I hope [visitors] have a sense of responsibility when they leave that how they behave in the Great Lakes basin affects others.”

“Attack of the Sea Lampreys” at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is now open to the public.

The post New exhibit at Wisconsin Maritime Museum showcases history and management of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-exhibit-at-wisconsin-maritime-museum-showcases-history-and-management-of-sea-lamprey-in-the-great-lakes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-exhibit-at-wisconsin-maritime-museum-showcases-history-and-management-of-sea-lamprey-in-the-great-lakes

Jenna Mertz

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In: AIS, AIS outreach, aquatic invasive species, Clean Boats, Kenosha, lake monitoring, Milwaukee, purple loosestrife, Racine, Scott McComb, Tim Campbell

Wisconsin Sea Grant has a new team member in the effort to protect our waters from aquatic invasive species. Scott McComb began May 3 as the southeast Wisconsin aquatic invasive species (AIS) outreach specialist.

Scott McComb has joined the staff of Wisconsin Sea Grant. (Submitted photo)

McComb’s position focuses on Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties, where he will coordinate education, monitoring and outreach programs for communities, stakeholders and volunteers to prevent the spread of AIS. His office is located at the Kenosha County Center in Bristol, though he anticipates spending a significant amount of time in the field in the three counties.

The three main programs McComb will focus on are the “Clean Boats, Clean Waters” campaign, a purple loosestrife biocontrol program and a citizen lake monitoring program. When possible, he’ll also have a presence at local and regional events (like Racine’s Salmon-A-Rama in July) to help spread the word about AIS prevention and answer the public’s questions.

McComb is eager to engage with a wide range of people. “Honestly, I feel like everyone under the sun is my stakeholder!” he laughed. He will partner with lake or homeowners’ associations that monitor bodies of water, government entities like parks departments, volunteer groups, conservation corps and individuals with an interest in maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations.

He’s also keen to work with people of different ages. “I’d really like to engage youth and the diversity of cultures and backgrounds in this region. There are so many great groups and people to connect to,” said McComb.

As the summer recreation season gets underway and people head out for boating, fishing and other outdoor pastimes, McComb stressed the basics of protecting our waters, such as the “Inspect—remove—drain—never move—dispose” motto. People should inspect their boats, kayaks or other watercraft for aquatic plants and animals; remove any that are found; drain water from live wells and other areas; never move water, plants or animals between waterbodies; and dispose of unused bait in the trash.

Additionally, he said, “Just be curious and keep your eyes open with what’s going on in the different lakes that you use. You don’t need to be an expert on aquatic vegetation to see a species start to take over, and there’s a whole bunch of people—including myself and DNR folks—who are here to help you identify something if you think it’s an invasive.”

McComb during a hike in Zebra Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. (Submitted photo)

McComb grew up in the Madison area and earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He then spent several years in Utah, where he completed a master’s degree in bioregional planning and worked in planning and conservation.

Said Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s aquatic invasive species outreach specialist, “Scott has a lot of experience helping communities plan and implement projects that help them improve their communities. I look forward to seeing how that experience helps him build upon existing local partnerships in southeast Wisconsin to improve aquatic invasive species prevention and management.”

A desire to be closer to family brought McComb and his wife back to Wisconsin. In their free time, they enjoy canoeing, kayaking and simply being out in nature.

As McComb settles into his new role, he encourages people seeking AIS information to get in touch. He can be reached at 608-890-0977 or McComb@aqua.wisc.edu.

The post Scott McComb ready to take on aquatic invasive species role in southeast Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/scott-mccomb-ready-to-take-on-aquatic-invasive-species-role-in-southeast-wisconsin/

Jennifer Smith