UW-Stevens Point: Hansen consulted for Discovery Channel show on controlling sea lampreys

CONTACT: University Relations and Communications

urc@uwsp.edu

715-346-3046; Fax 715-346-2042

http://www.uwsp.edu/urc

Michael Hansen, professor of fisheries at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has served as a consultant for Discovery Channel’s program “Dirty Jobs.” A segment on the control of sea lampreys will air Tuesday, November 2, at 8 p.m. (CDT).

Native to the Atlantic Ocean, lampreys entered the upper Great Lakes in the 1920s through shipping canals and have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem ever since. Lampreys attach to fish with a tooth-filled suction cup mouth, gnaw a hole through the fish’s scales and skin, and feed on the fish’s blood and body fluids. They decimated Great Lakes fisheries, caused significant economic harm and changed a way of life in the region.

”Sea lamprey populations have dropped by 90 percent in many areas of the Great Lakes, allowing for the restoration of the Great Lakes ecosystem and contributing to the $7 billion in economic return that the fishery brings each year to the region,” said Hansen, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “Lampreys are quite telegenic; they look like aliens from outer space. This episode of “Dirty Jobs” will be a great opportunity for Discovery Channel viewers to catch a glimpse of the difficult and often grimy work that we in the region do to keep this species under control.”

For more information about lampreys, visit http://www.sealamprey.org.

-30-

With our roots in the heart of the state, Wisconsin’s right-sized public university launches students on meaningful life journeys through transformational learning in the arts and sciences. Our open-minded, close-knit community—both on and off campus—inspires students to experience the world unfolding in new ways.