Introduced to the Great Lakes via the Welland Canal in 1921, these primitive invertebrates, sometimes called “eel-suckers,” have become endemic in the Great Lakes, including Indiana’s portion of Lake Michigan.

Although often confused with eels because of their long, slender bodies, sea lampreys are not eels. Eels are Audrey Hepburn compared to lampreys. Instead of a face, the lamprey features a science-fiction oval mouth, packed with concentric rings of sharp teeth directly connected to a long, dark, slug-like body.

As larvae, sea lampreys utilize freshwater rivers, eating a variety of microorganisms and detritus. These baby lampreys will swim the rivers for anywhere from four to six years, just until the larvae transform into free-swimming youngsters ready to migrate into the open waters of either a saltwater, marine environment or into the freshwaters of the Great Lakes.

When these transformers, being only 13 to 15 centimeters long and silvery in color, are ready, they begin moving downstream to the Great Lakes. After they reach their destination, the newly transformed lampreys quickly attach to their first prey fish. Producing an anticoagulant substance in its saliva which prevents its victims’ blood from clotting, the lamprey uses its sharp teeth to scrape away the host’s skin so that it can begin sucking out the blood and other bodily fluids.

For this reason, the sea lamprey, is not what most of us would like to feel wrapping around our legs when wading or swimming at one of Lake Michigan’s sandy beaches. Lucky for us, lampreys do not typically have a taste for human bodies. They seem to prefer the cold, scaly flesh of unsuspecting fish.

Once in open water, the sea lamprey begins its 12 to 20 month-long adult, parasitic existence. Over this time period, while budding into mature adults, the lampreys can grow up to 46 centimeters in length.

Once a host fish finds itself with a new, attached partner, their future is quite uncertain. While the length of time the lamprey will remain attached to its host varies, there are several factors that will determine whether the host fish will survive or die as a result of its newly-found parasitic partner. The site of the attachment on the fish’s body, the time of year, and the size of the predatory lamprey in relation to its prey’s size will determine the fate of the unfortunate host fish. Oftentimes, captured lake trout may bear wounds and sometimes scars showing that they survived several attacks by smaller sea lampreys.

Sea lampreys first began migrating to the Great Lakes in the early 1920s from their native Atlantic Ocean by way of shipping canals. This parasitic vertebrate can live just fine, thrive in fact, in fresh or salt water. One of the oldest extant species of vertebrae, they are quite versatile, and have spread throughout the five Great Lakes as well as Lake St. Clair. Lake St. Clair does not present the best environment for the lamprey because of its relative shallowness and warmer temperature, which does not attract lake trout, the lamprey’s food of choice.

Over a period of 40 years, the growing sea lamprey population eventually decimated the fishing trade of the Great Lakes.

Because of their aggressive feeding style, the lampreys contributed to the serious decline of a variety of native fish species that were prime components to the Great Lakes fishing industry. In fact, prior to the invasion of the sea lampreys, United States and Canada brought in roughly 15 million pounds of lake trout from both Lake Huron and Lake Superior. But, by the early 1960s, just 300,000 pounds of this valuable fish was caught.

While the freshwater lake trout have long been the top predator in the Great Lakes, they were also the sea lampreys’ most sought after meal. The natural result was a continuing, steady decline in the number of lake trout. Over time, it became a fight between the two main fishers of the waters of the Great Lakes; sea lamprey verses the fisherman.

With lake trout numbers steadily declining, the sea lampreys turned their sites to the whitefish and other members of the whitefish family, such as chubs and lake herring. And, as lake trout and other expert predators in Lakes Huron and Michigan were eradicated, the population of a second, typically-saltwater-dwelling invader swam in from the Atlantic. The highly predatory alewife arrived, and its population seemed to explode.

Even though the alewives are quite susceptible to major die-offs in the springtime, they became very abundant and had adverse effects on a lot of the very valuable, native fish species that call the Great Lakes water system home.

As early as 1948, a special committee was formed with the idea and goal of controlling the sea lamprey population. The committee was comprised of and represented by the governments of Canada and the United States – eight American states as well as Ontario – all of the jurisdictions which border the five Great Lakes. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan and Ontario actually led much of the research in defining the life cycle and distribution of sea lampreys. They also installed and tested physical barriers that were designed to prevent sexually mature sea lampreys from entering the very vital streams in order to spawn.

Very early in the program, the committee determined that using a chemical that was selectively more toxic to sea lamprey larvae still living and growing in streams than to “friendly,” nontarget fish and other aquatic organisms would be a must. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rigorously researched about 6,000 different chemicals during laboratory testing for more than seven years before finally coming up with the chemical of choice – lampricide. TFMâ„¢ (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) and Bayerâ„¢ 73 (2-aminoethanol salt of 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide) were selected for testing on the ever-growing population of lampreys. These efficient chemicals are still the major control methods used today.

Lampricide is a poisonous substance that does successfully kill the intended target, the sea lamprey; however, it also kills the many invertebrates it just happens to come in contact with along with occasional fish. Lampricide is brought to designated streams, some of which are located in populated areas, by big tanker-trucks, and is then applied to the stream waters in specific locations. This method is typically a rather expensive and labor-intensive procedure.

Later, in 1955, also formed primarily with the desire to control the growing lamprey population, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) was created. The GLFC is designed to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (which is also a part of the Department of the Interior), the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Geological Survey with the goal of lamprey population control.

At this point, the GLFC estimates that the lamprey population has decreased since it peaked in the 1960s, but control of this damaging species is simply a must for the Great Lakes region. The GLFC’s principle goal is still protecting both the rich sport and commercial fishing market that is found in the Great Lakes; estimated at $4 billion per year.

Along with re-establishing and protecting the sport and commercial fishing market, the commission also has a responsibility to protect the natural environment. For this reason, the GLFC has long been eager to utilize a synthetic form of a particular sea lamprey pheromone, and thus replacing the use of lampricide poisoning, by luring lampreys to special, waiting traps and then sterilizing the males. Using the pheromone would be environmentally friendly and less expensive.

So, for the past 15 years, intensive research has been conducted with the goal of finding a safer, more environmentally-friendly method for controlling the destructive sea lamprey. What has been found is a natural chemical attractant, or pheromone, which is released by lamprey larvae that are still living and feeding in streambeds. The adult lampreys are attracted to and follow the pheromone trail with the intent on spawning until they reach streams that appear favorable.

A research team at the University of Minnesota has finally identified the three major components of the pheromone, and they have successfully synthesized the main one, which is a novel steroid much like a shark steroid that possesses anticancer properties. This special pheromone just happens to be the first migratory attractant identified in any fish.

The GLFC’s principle objective is to have the lamprey population under good control by an environmentally-safe, more effective method by the year 2010.

It is interesting to note that, generally, the freeloading sea lamprey prefers the colder, deeper waters where people do not swim. However, there has been some apparent evidence of lampreys attaching themselves to people instead of their normal fishy prey.

In Upstate New York’s Lake Champlain, a body of water with significant sea lamprey numbers, the occasional long distance swimmer has sometimes surfaced from the lake with an eel sucker dangling from one or more body parts. This gives new meaning to “stay out of the water” when swimming in waters known to support large numbers of these primitive vertebrates.

Now, a week after the devastating forces of Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, the floodwaters remain. The monumental job of removing the remaining standing floodwater will likely take weeks — at least.

Some estimates are between 30 to 60 days before the water is pumped out, however this will depend on the area and the degree of flooding. For those in some of the hardest hit areas, it could be much longer before the tepid water is removed. Meanwhile, for the many hurricane survivors who remain trapped, the filthy, contaminated water is their only road to safe, dry land.

In Louisiana alone, 80 percent of New Orleans and its surrounding suburban communities remain flooded and steeped in a rancid brew consisting of bacterial-ridden raw sewage and waste, decaying human and animal corpses, and petrol fuel and toxic chemicals. This nasty concoction is like a time bomb just waiting to go off as the potential for outbreaks of typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis and bacterial infections are a real possibility.

Along with the threat of bacterial-born diseases, the standing, stagnant floodwaters and oppressive heat are now setting the stage for an ever-increasing hazard of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, West Nile virus, and dengue fever. And, even though some health officials believe that outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid are fairly unlikely and that the decomposing human and animal bodies do not present a huge disease threat, they all agree that mosquitoes will likely present the greatest threat to the survivors who are still trapped by the floodwaters or are now refusing to leave their homes.

In the aftermath of natural disasters like hurricanes, mosquitoes are presented with an excellent breeding ground. The rancid flood waters allow the mosquitoes the opportunity to grow and harvest to epic proportions.

It has been estimated that mosquito populations will probably grow dramatically over the next seven to 10 days. Because of the many stagnant pools of water left behind by Katrina, the mosquito problem will most likely be worse in the flooded rural areas rather than in the bigger urban areas, like New Orleans. In effect, it is projected that the mosquito population will become an insidious annoyance that will make life a lot harder for the search and recovery workers and volunteers as well as for those still living along the path of Katrina’s destruction.

And, as the mosquito population grows, the threat of West Nile virus will also grow. So far this year, Louisiana has already had roughly 52 cases of West Nile virus. According to a recent CDC report, of these 52 cases, 40 have involved encephalitis or meningitis. Therefore, because of the increased virus threat, the CDC is working closely with officials in Louisiana in an effort to prevent or at least ward off a major mosquito outbreak.

For the time being and aside from the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses, a big concern involves raw sewage-tainted water. You may not necessarily get sick just by walking, wading, or swimming through the floodwater along the Gulf Coast, however it is definitely possible in many cases. Think of it this way – By moving through the spoiled floodwater, splashing occurs. If there is raw sewage in that water you will then be at risk of getting it on your hands, and then accidentally transferring the bacteria-laden water to your mouth.

Another pressing and immediate hazard is the possibility of developing gastrointestinal illnesses brought to the human population by the seriously contaminated floodwaters and a devastating lack of clean drinking water throughout hardest-hit, hurricane-ravaged areas along Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama’s coastal regions.

Some of the other, less-thought-about health risks that may be found in the wake of Katrina is illness as a result of eating spoiled, tainted food, ingesting the mucky floodwater (even for the sake of rinsing your mouth or brushing your teeth), and the real threat of seeing more common infectious disease spread quickly throughout the many packed refugee shelters. What symptoms you might have and how severe they may get will depend on the specific illness contracted and sick person’s current health. Some of the more common water-borne diseases found in the United States include: amebiasis, campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, hepatitis A, salmonellosis, shigellosis, and viral gastroenteritis (such as norovirus and rotavirus infections).

The good news is that pervasive, epidemic-type diseases rarely chase after the more recent United States disasters.

In the midst of the demolition brought by hurricane Katrina, the fear of an epidemic-spreading of infectious disease have only added to the worries and distress felt by the survivors and those helping with the rescue and recovery operations. While some fears are founded, many other worries and concerns remain on shaky ground. For example, while it is possible for an exotic disease such as cholera to develop in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is actually extremely unlikely.

In reality, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that unless an illness is introduced into a disaster area from an outside source, the outbreaks that do occur will typically be directly related to diseases that were already present and thriving in the disaster-affected environment prior to the natural disaster – in this case, Hurricane Katrina.

There are many other health concerns that represent real and present dangers to many who have lived through Katrina’s assault. Many people suffered cuts and lacerations as a result of the hurricane. Of these people, many may have difficultly recovering from cuts and wounds due to an existing health condition, like diabetes. Due to a severe lack of medicine, bandages, and antibiotics, wounds can quickly become infected by the bacteria-infested floodwaters. The result, without proper and speedy medical care, can be badly infected, open sores that leave the body open to yet more disease and sickness.

Therefore, it’s very important to note that hurricane-related wounds may present vital risks for survivors of Katrina. Especially to those who have yet to receive the proper medical treatment and for those survivors who had to endure these wounds for three, four, or even five days while awaiting rescue. After a very few days, it doesn’t take long, an infected gash or abrasion can become very grave and even life-threatening due to the spreading infection. This is what many of Indonesia’s survivors had to cope with last December in the aftermath of the tsunami. Therefore, this risk needs to be considered realistic and taken seriously.

Floodwaters, by nature, are usually contaminated by raw sewage. Even with this pollution, remember that this tainted water is not necessarily going to be dangerous except for when a person drinks or otherwise ingests the dirty water or gets it in their untreated wounds.

And, once Katrina’s floodwaters have finally been pumped out or recede along the devastated Gulf Coast cities, towns, and parishes, the threat of water-borne disease and illnesses will remain. As most water-borne illnesses derive from consuming fecal matter-contaminated water, this threat will be present until the drinking water systems can be fully cleaned and disinfected.

There is clearly a long road ahead.

According to an article by Matthew L. Wald published in the New York Times and excerpted below, Florida Power & Light shipped radioactive waste to regular landfills, municipal sewage treatment plants, and “some unknown locations.” According to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the company has concealed these shipments from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

As a game, ask yourself if you would have concealed this information.

If you knew it. If your job might depend on it.

You would of course know that it would take a few decades before it would have any effect on anyone. That it would never be traced back to you.

How would you live with the knowledge?

…a week after the cleanup was completed at a dump site, the company found contamination at a level 20 times what was proposed by the state, and thousands of times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency allowed for agricultural land; the surrounding area is used for cattle and citrus. emphasis added

[Plaintiff's attorney] Nancy La Vista said she planned to argue that tests of the boys’ baby teeth showed abnormally high levels of radioactive strontium, which is produced when atoms are split and that when ingested binds to human bones. Older people have strontium in their bones that was created from atmospheric nuclear testing. But, Ms. La Vista said, “These kids were all born after Chernobyl, after Three Mile Island, and after atmospheric testing.”

If you spend any length of time in St. Lucie County, Florida, you’re carrying something special from this place inside of you. A bonus. From Florida Power and Light, now The FPL Group, one of the United State’s largest power companies.

Like their website says, they are not just located in the community, they are part of the community.

The part of the community that causes cancer.

Located on a barrier island off of Florida’s central east coast in Jensen Beach, the twin St. Lucie reactors are about eight miles upwind of the town of Port St. Lucie, where an astronomically high percentage of children have brain cancer.

The death rate for breast cancer in St. Lucie County has also skyrocketed.

“Gould’s numbers, based upon US Vital Statistics, showed that in St. Lucie County, the age-adjusted white female breast cancer mortality rate from 1950-54 was 6.5 deaths per 100,000 women. But the rate jumped to 20.7 for the years 1980-84, and 23.5 for 1985-89. Thus the rate of increase in these deaths, comparing 1950-54 to 1980-84, was 221%! And comparing 1950-54 to 1985-89, the increase was 263%. ” Michael Steinberg

There is no mystery here, even though the license for the power plant was renewed for another 20 years in 2002. Something in the water, that’s the culprit.

A study of baby teeth from children in St. Lucie County found high levels of strontium-90, a product of uranium fission. The six counties surrounding the nuclear plants in Florida had a 44% higher concentration of strontium-90 than the rest of Florida. Children who had cancer had 80% more strontium-90 in their teeth.

“What is St. Lucie’s safety record? St. Lucie is one of the best performing nuclear power plants in the country, as well as in the world. The World Association of Nuclear Operators has rated St. Lucie Plant as one of the top performing U.S. nuclear power plants.” FPL website

“I checked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission records for radioactive releases from the St. Lucie reactors, as reported by their owner and operator, Florida Power and Light Company. The NRC records showed that the St. Lucie 1 reactor, operating commercially since 1976, had released nearly 283,000 curies of airborne radiation into the environment through 1991. The St. Lucie 2 reactor, operating since 1983, reported airborne emissions through 1991 of almost 50,000 curies. Thus the reactors, through 1991, had released over 333,000 curies of radiation into the air, much of it probably drifting towards Port St. Lucie.”

“The NRC records also indicated that over these years the St. Lucie reactors had released over 6800 Curies of liquid tritium—radioactive hydrogen—into local waters. Community groups in western Massachusetts have implicated liquid tritium releases from the now defunct Yankee Rowe nuclear reactor as the cause of abnormally high rates of five kinds of cancer and Down’s Syndrome. And in Suffolk County on New York’s eastern Long Island, residents have filed a $2 billion lawsuit against the operators of a research reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory, contending that its leaks of tritium and other radioactive substances into the groundwater have contaminated their community water supply.”

Not just located in the community, part of the community. The part you don’t want.

Coming to your community. The nuclear waste from this facility must be shipped out and buried somewhere forever, and the nuclear fuel shipped in.

FPL plans to build a coal-fired power plant in the west of St. Lucie County in 2008.

So much lead dust blows from the giant tailings piles that cover the landscape that most of the county’s children have learning disabilities. Cave-ins have forced the abandonment of the Pitcher, Oklahoma town center. Map of these chat piles

"For several decades, hazardous materials have affected several towns in a 40 sq. mile area located in the extreme northeast corner of Oklahoma – Ottawa County – near the borders of Kansas and Missouri. Towns experiencing the most impact include Pitcher, Cardin, North Miami, Miami, and Quapaw. The Quapaw Tribe owns 70 percent of the land in this area." OGHS

"In the late 1960′s many homes were built on the land due to reduced property costs. Soon after, incidents of collapsing homes and fish kills in nearby waterways, including the Grand Lake of Cherokee, prompted a federal investigation."

Among all residents of the area who live off the land to varying degrees, the native tribes who are settled in the region are particularly vulnerable.

"The tribal populations may use biota (i.e., plants and animals) for food and for cultural, ceremonial, and religious practices. The tribes would use biota as food probably in amounts much greater than amounts used by other area residents. Native populations can use plant materials for medicine regularly, further increasing consumption rates for lead. Tribal members who practice crafts such as basket weaving may spend most of their day sifting the plant through their teeth, a practice that means they can easily inhale contaminated dust and small soil particulates bound to plant materials. The biota used and the cultural, ceremonial, and religious practices may differ among the 10 tribes in the Tar Creek site area." Superfund report to congress

"How can the government turn its back on so many people who live on what the EPA describes as the "worst toxic waste site in the nation," an area described in the federal Tar Creek Restoration Act as a site that "…can never be made safe for human habitation?" mindfully.org

It’s fascinating to see the transition between the smaller tributaries, underground rivers, and the larger surface waterways.

It looks green and blue in the false color of the satellite image, but large areas the watershed remain irrevocably contaminated with lead. Eating the catfish is a serious mistake.

Ongoing cleanup efforts produce a bewildering collection of pdf progress reports. However the prevailing wind blows the dust from the white mounded piles you see into the air, until the lead and zinc dust settles somewhere else, somewhere downwind, somewhere downstream.

Thanks to Nat Vaprin.