Applied Behavioral Ecology Lab at MSU

Not all who meander are lost: migrating sea lamprey follow river thalwegs to facilitate safe and efficient passage upstream Highlighted Article: Migrating sea lamprey appear to use a novel mechanism, hydrostatic pressure-guided rheotaxis, to follow river thalwegs and achieve safe and efficient upstream passage through shal...

We are currently accepting applications for a Ph.D. student to start in 2026. If you find this paper interesting (journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...), come help us take the next step! Application information can be found here: www.wagnerlabmsu.com/lab-info.html.

I think I have detected the bullshit.

Swimming in the deep: MSU research reveals sea lamprey travel patterns in Great Lakes waterways Researchers in the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are researching how to catch sea lampreys in the Great Lakes.

msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/sw...

Geeking out over seeing the wee (4 cm) lunar tide (M2 harmonic) in a Great Lakes river.

Few support punitive funding cuts to colleges and universities - AP-NORC Most of the public believes that colleges and universities make significant contributions to scientific and technological advancement and think their federal research funding should be maintained.

apnorc.org/projects/few...

Congratulations to ABEL lab scientist Dr. Kandace Griffin on the successful defense of her dissertation!

Michigan’s young engineers are using LEGO robotics to combat sea lamprey A group of fourth and fifth graders from Wass and Hill Elementary Schools have traded in their backpacks for blueprints. Assisted by MSU Associate Professor Michael Wagner, an expert on aquatic invasi...

The next generation of problem solvers! Happy to be a very small part of their very big success! msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/mi...

Building a natural repellent: effects of varying alarm cue exposure on swim activity and spatial avoidance in an invasive fish Abstract. Techniques for using natural anti-predator cues to guide the movements of animals and reduce human–wildlife conflict are highly desired. With con

New paper just out: academic.oup.com/conphys/arti...

Sea lamprey control program receives OK to rehire federal workers after initial scare The Great Lakes sea lamprey control program has the OK to rehire three dozen federal employees it needs to combat the eel-like, invasive fish species.

www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

If anyone in the community was using Innovasea tags that transmitted HR codes in 2022 and experienced low detection rates we would like to chat with you.

A sea lamprey suctioning itself to a rock. Photo credit: Andrew Muir, Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Every year, thousands of invasive sea lampreys migrate up the rivers around the North American Great Lakes. Recently, Griffin & co discovered that, unlike other fish, sea lampreys stick to the deepest part of the river to stay safe and use less energy

journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

Man, I wish I could nap.

Federal hiring freeze could mean sea lamprey go unchecked in Great Lakes Seasonal federal workers help control the eel-like, parasitic fish each year.

www.interlochenpublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...

Cool discovery regarding how sea lamprey migrate through shallow coastal rivers while avoiding shoreline hunting predators. doi.org/10.1242/jeb....

How I feel when I finish a paper.

Watercolor sketch of a jawless and toothy, cylindrical fish. Chestnut lamprey.

Parasitic chestnut lamprey is today's star of the #25DaysOfFishmas

A slide showing an adult lamprey with some facts about lampreys in text.

It's #GarWeek, but gars aren't native to Oregon. You know what are native to Oregon? Lampreys are! So, let's celebrate #AncientFishesWeek with a look at some amazing fish that are vital to Oregon's aquatic ecosystems.

International Conference on Fish Telemetry (7th ICFT) Fourwaves - International Conference on Fish Telemetry (7th ICFT)

Are you a fish telemetry practitioner? The 7th International Conference on Fish Telemetry will take place June 8-13, 2025 in Traverse City, Michigan, USA. The conference website is now live for abstract submission and details on the venue. Help spread the word. event.fourwaves.com/7thicft/pages

My favorite day of teaching Stream Ecology: concluding a design sprint to re-envision our campus river's riparian zone.

Erin says there is no such thing as too much chocolate. She is worried for you.

Our department is seeking an assistant professor who uses genetic tools to answer important questions about fish and wildlife populations. Come join us! careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/51...