Study Links Declining Pacific Lamprey Populations to Toxic Contamination

Lamprey larvae photo by usgs.gov

The Columbia River is burdened with toxic pollution, and a new study by USGS and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission links the bioaccumulation of pesticides, flame retardants, and mercury to the decline of Pacific lamprey in the Columbia River Basin.

Pacific Lamprey have persisted in the fossil record for the past 450 million years, but today they are lost from much of their native range, which once included a wide distribution all along the Pacific Coast of the United States.  By analyzing contaminants in lamprey tissue and sediments, this study looks at the role of water quality and habitat contamination to lamprey decline in the Columbia River Basin.  The results suggest that lamprey accumulate harmful levels of pesticides, flame retardants, and mercury which could be contributing to the devastating decline of this culturally and ecologically important species.

Click here to read the full study or to learn more about the project visit: http://or.water.usgs.gov/projs_dir/lampreys/index.html