Editor’s Note: Interested in free weekly updates from Northern Michigan? Sign up for the UP NORTH VOICE MAIL
REGION– Researchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University are heading to the deepest part of Lake Superior, known as Superior Maximus, to study unusually thin siscowet lake trout nicknamed “zombie” fish.
The emaciated trout, found in deep offshore waters, have increased significantly in recent years, raising questions among scientists and the public. Researchers believe the condition is likely linked to low food availability in the lake’s extreme deepwater ecosystem rather than a contagious disease. During the expedition aboard the RV Lake Char, scientists will collect and test the fish to better understand their health and monitor the changing conditions in Lake Superior’s deep waters.
Learn more about the DNR’s Great Lakes research at Michigan.gov/FishResearch.
