Sea lamprey try to avoid the smell of certain chemicals, including the scent of rotting sea lamprey and another compound found in human spit (See it here!). Understanding how sea lamprey react to these chemicals under different conditions allows for managers to try to use these chemicals to help control lamprey populations. Recent work by Di Rocco et al (link) has just shown that temperature and the whether the lamprey was hiding or not. Lampreys in warmer water who were searching for spawning sites were must reactive, while those in cold waters that were hiding did not respond.
Check out this post for more lamprey fleeing from "the smell of death" and to learn more!
