They’re round, suction-cupped, and as it turns out, full of secrets. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) may not be glamorous, but these quirky creatures are doing serious work beneath the waves in the Gulf of Maine.

Show notes:

They’re round, suction-cupped, and as it turns out, full of secrets. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) may not be glamorous, but these quirky creatures are doing serious work beneath the waves in the Gulf of Maine.

In this episode, we learn how lumpfish are becoming unlikely heroes in salmonid aquaculture. Acting as ladybugs of the sea, they help control parasitic sea lice in salmon and trout farms—a natural solution to a major problem. But what do we know about the lumpfish themselves, and what happens when we rely on wild species to fix our finfish-farming challenges?

Act One: Elizabeth Fairchild describes her latest Sea Grant-funded study on lumpfish at the University of New Hampshire. The study seeks to shed light on the mysterious lives of lumpfish in the rapidly changing Gulf of Maine, and their potential for use as ‘cleaner fish’ in salmonid aquaculture operations.

Act Two: Aravis Albert and Sam Rutka from the Seacoast Science Center explain how lumpfish can help us tell the story of a changing Gulf of Maine, and where curious coastal visitors can look to find these charismatic fish.

Guest Speakers:

Elizabeth Fairchild, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire

Sam Rutka, Lead Aquarist, Seacoast Science Center

Aravis Albert, Aquarist I and Naturalist, Seacoast Science Center

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant.

Co-hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant.

Produced by: Brian Yurasits with assistance from Talia Katreczko, New Hampshire Sea Grant Doyle Fellow.

Further reading:

Meet the Lumpfish! Interactive Map

Team LuMP – Lumpfish Mapping Project

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

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