University of Michigan-Flint

Faculty Name:  Heather Dawson

Department:  Biology

Campus Address:  264 Murchie Science Building

Email:  hdawson@umflint.edu

Phone:  810-762-3360

Project Description:  Sea lamprey traps need to capture and retain a large proportion of the individuals that encounter them in order to be an effective means of control and/or assessment. A recent study on the St. Marys River showed that the traps studied had low entrance rates but high retention rates, and that sea lamprey spent a small amount of time at a trap entrance per visit (mean of 5 seconds). The entrance and retention rates at a trap may be influenced by attributes of the trap such as location, the design of the trap and trap opening, and the presence of pheromones. There could also be a trade-off between these two, where modifications to a trap that increase entrance could decrease retention (and vice versa). There may also be a relationship between the amount of time a sea lamprey spends at a trap entrance, and the likelihood that it will enter. Video has been recorded at the entrance of non-baited and sea lamprey pheromone-baited traps serviced by Canadian and U.S. Government agencies responsible for Great Lakes sea lamprey control. Evaluating video recorded at a variety of traps will allow us to determine if there are differences in the behavior of sea lampreys at different traps, and, if so, what attributes of a trap result in higher entrance or retention rates. We propose to evaluate recorded sea lamprey behavior at pheromone-baited traps and compare with behavior previously recorded and evaluated at non-baited traps to see how entrance rates, retention rates, and the amount of time a sea lamprey spends at the trap entrances differs, and what attributes of a trap contribute to the differences observed.

Semesters Desired:  Fall 2011 AND Winter 2012

GSRA Position Description:  The GSRA would perform the following work with guidance from the faculty advisor:

1.         Determine the amount of video and methods of subsampling the video to obtain a representative subsample.

2.         Follow established protocols to watch and record sea lamprey behavior observed on video.

3.         Enter recorded data into a database.

4.         Analyze data.

5.         Determine entrance and retention rates of different traps, and the trap attributes which contribute to the differences observed.

6.         Prepare presentations for professional meetings, and provide information gained to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to aid in the management of this invasive species.

Specific Day/Time Requirements:  None identified

Special Requirements:  Must be able to:

1.         Pay attention to detail and follow established protocols.

2.         Use video equipment and associated software properly.

3.         Meet with the faculty advisor every two weeks to discuss research progress.

4.         Use various computer programs, including video software, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

5.         Work effectively and appropriately with other

Graduate Students in These Programs May Apply:  Candidate in mind