COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A study has revealed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on an invasive parasitic fish that wounds and kills Great Lakes native species like lake trout, whitefish, ciscoes, and walleye. According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the sea lamprey feeds on the blood a nd fluids of other fish by attaching itself with its sharp tongue. The aquatic pest has been wreaking havoc since entering the region from the Atlantic Ocean more than 150 years ago. Experts note that one sea lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish in its parasitic stage. At its most prolific nearly 75 years ago, almost 2.5 million sea lampreys killed 100 million pounds of fish annually. Watch: JD Vance fumbles Buckeyes’ national championship trophy In the 1950s, a sea lamprey control program began, which led to populations plummeting to about “10% of their historic highs.” However, COVID-era travel restrictions impeded efforts to reduce or eliminate the creature. Pictured: Two brown trout captured in Lake Ontario on a recreational fishing charter during 2022, both of which had multiple parasitic sea lampreys attached. Sea lamprey populations increased dramatically in Lake Ontario following two years of reduced control effort. Credits: Captain Andy Bliss, used with permission.TORONTO, ON- OCTOBER 29 - The mouth of a Sea Lamprey features 150 teeth and a tongue that is cerated. A behind the scenes look at the Royal Ontario Museums Invertebrate Zoology Lab with the bloodthirsty creatures of the original exhibition Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches that opens on November 16. in Toronto. October 29, 2019. Sea Lampreys, Petromyzon marinus, are an invasive species in the Great Lakes and capable of killing up to 40 pounds (more than 20 kilograms) of fish over their 12-18 month feeding period. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Study authors, who published their findings in the journal “Fisheries,” sought to discover if sea lampreys still “posed a threat to Great Lakes fisheries” or if “sea lamprey control [was] still necessary to suppress their populations.” “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” said Dr. Nick Johnson, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-author on the study. “When the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced sea lamprey control for two years, our research team made the most of the situation by using it as an unplanned experiment to learn valuable information — nearly impossible to obtain otherwise — about the current impact of control on sea lamprey populations.” The team of 15 scientists found that reductions in applying lampricide, a “pesticide highly selective to lampreys,” in 2020 and 2021 allowed the organism's population to explode. Marion named nation’s Strongest Town “Like a coiled spring, sea lamprey populations bounced back quickly when control was relaxed,” said Dr. Ben Marcy-Quay, a fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the lead author of the study. “Wounding on Chinook and coho salmon, specifically, increased over 10-fold. Our findings support observations by the fishing public and fishery managers of fish riddled with sea lamprey wounds, some containing three or more wounds per fish.” The Great Lakes Fishery Commission asserted that study results confirm that continued vigilance against the sea lamprey is necessary to protect “Great Lakes fish and the valuable fisheries they support.” ...read more read less