Test of a Nonphysical Barrier Consisting of Light, Sound, and Bubble Screen to Block Upstream Movement of Sea Lampreys in an Experimental Raceway

What is it about?

A pilot study to determine if Sea Lamprey would respond to and avoid a combination of stimuli: low frequency sound, strobe light, and bubble screen.

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Why is it important?

We document, during this bioassay as well as during previously unpublished research, that Sea Lamprey exhibit a behavioral response to low frequency sound. This is the first time a response to sound by sea lamprey has been documented and published, in fact it was previously unknown if Agnathan species were capable of detecting sound. The results from this study were preliminary as this was simply a proof-of-concept test of a possible deterrent tool, therefore, we encourage continued testing under more controlled conditions to better describe the hearing ability of Sea Lamprey and the potential behavioral response.