The Atlas Obscura Podcast Invasion of the Lampreys
Nov 12, 2025
Journalist Katie Thornton, known for her insightful New Yorker reporting, dives into the eerie world of sea lampreys—blood-sucking invaders of the Great Lakes. She shares their grotesque features and ancient origins. Learn how human actions allowed these 'vampire fish' to thrive and wreak havoc on local fisheries and economies. Discover the innovative chemical solutions developed to combat them and the struggle to maintain funding amidst recent federal cuts, which threaten the future of control efforts.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Lamprey Invasion Devastated Great Lakes
- Sea lampreys invaded the Great Lakes about a century ago and devastated fisheries and jobs.
- The invasion threatened a $6 billion-a-year fishery and required large-scale intervention.
Gruesome Anatomy Explains Lethality
- Sea lampreys are ancient, eel-like fish with suction-cup mouths full of razor teeth and a saw-like tongue.
- They latch onto fish, slice flesh, and drain blood and bodily fluids, often killing the host.
Human Infrastructure Enabled Invasion
- Lampreys reached the Great Lakes through human-built shipping canals that bypassed Niagara Falls.
- They spread across all five Great Lakes by the late 1930s after canals opened access.