Classification of lentic habitat for sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larvae using a remote seabed classification device

Lentic populations of larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) are suspected of being a major source of recruitment to parasitic stocks in some areas of the Great Lakes, and methods are needed to estimate habitat and population sizes. A deepwater electroshocker has been used to quantitatively assess larval sea lamprey populations in deepwater areas, however a method has not been developed to efficiently identify the most promising locations to sample in this environment. A remote seabed classification device (RoxAnn(TM)) was used to identify soft substrates in a lentic area where sea lamprey larvae have been found in Batchawana Bay (Ontario) in eastern Lake Superior, and related those substrate types to larval distribution and occurrence. Presence of larvae was significantly related to substrate type, distance from the stream mouth, and slope of the lake bottom. Remote seabed classification would be a useful tool in the Sea Lamprey Control Program to identify the most promising locations to conduct larval surveys in lentic areas.