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Sea Lamprey Videos Invade Great Lakes Database

Jill Wingfield
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Sea Lamprey

If a picture says a thousand words, how many are a video worth? Explore the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s newest multimedia tool and find out for yourself.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s website has been significantly expanded with the addition of an engaging, open-access video database. The video clips, generally less than a minute in length, are available for streaming via YouTube. High-definition versions of some videos also can be downloaded. 

The videos chronicle sea lamprey in the wild, sea lamprey spawning, various aspects of the sea lamprey control program, and cutting-edge fisheries research.

Sea lampreys attach to fish with a sucking disk and sharp teeth, and feed on body fluids, often scarring and killing host fish. Screenshot from Great Lakes Fishery Commission video database.Sea lampreys attach to fish with a sucking disk and sharp teeth, and feed on body fluids, often scarring and killing host fish. Screenshot from Great Lakes Fishery Commission video database.

Sea lamprey are native to the Atlantic Ocean, but were introduced into the Great Lakes in the early 20th century through shipping canals.

Today, lampreys are found in streams throughout the Great Lakes basin.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission works in cooperation with Canadian and U.S. agencies to help control the lamprey population in the lakes and create a healthy environment for fish survival and spawning.

Videos in the new database can be used by members of the media, agency personnel, teachers and students, and the public for broadcast, print articles, presentations, and outreach materials.

 

The database contains almost 100 clips, each with a title, description, and credit information. The videos complement the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s existing photo database, which was significantly expanded in 2011 and now includes nearly 500 high-resolution photos.

Both databases are organized using the same structure. Primary categories include: sea lamprey, fisheries, fish, invasive species, habitat/scenery, historical, and miscellaneous. The commission’s multimedia room is fully searchable.

New videos and photos will be added to the databases as they become available. If you would like to have your photo(s) or video(s) included, contact Jill Wingfield via email at jwingfield@glfc.org or by phone at 734-669-3005. Submissions will be reviewed by staff and considered for inclusion.

Jill Wingfield
Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Jill Wingfield is communications program manager with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

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