The video features Coyote Peterson, a wildlife educator, exploring the world of sea lamprey, a parasitic fish that invades the Great Lakes. The sea lamprey is known for its vampire-like behavior, attaching itself to other fish and sucking their blood. Coyote explains that while sea lamprey are often feared, they do not typically attack humans. He conducts an experiment to see if sea lamprey will attack him in a dunk tank, even when provoked by an alarm cue pheromone that normally causes them to become aggressive. Despite the alarm cue, the sea lamprey do not attack Coyote aggressively, and he concludes that they are not interested in consuming humans. The video also highlights the ongoing battle to control sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes and the discovery of an alarm cue pheromone that can be used to repel them.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Sea lamprey are parasitic blood-sucking creatures that live in the Great Lakes.
2. They have razor-sharp teeth and a suction cup mouth.
3. Sea lamprey do not eat human flesh.
4. Scientists working with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission hypothesized that pheromones could disrupt the spawning activity of sea lamprey.
5. An alarm cue pheromone causes sea lamprey to flee from the perceived danger.
6. The alarm cue pheromone is released by sea lamprey when they are injured or attacked by a predator.
7. Sea lamprey have a highly developed sense of smell.
8. The discovery of the alarm cue pheromone has led to the development of a powerful repellent to control sea lamprey populations.
9. Sea lamprey originally invaded the Great Lakes from the Atlantic Ocean through man-made shipping canals in the 1800s.
10. Without any predators or population control, their numbers exploded.
11. The battle to control invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes is ongoing.
12. Scientists are using alarm cues to herd sea lamprey into specific areas, reducing the need for lamprey control treatments.
13. Trapping and cross-stream barriers are also used to prevent spawning migrations.
14. Sea lamprey populations have declined by 90% due to these efforts.
15. The decline in sea lamprey populations has resulted in healthier Great Lakes ecosystems.