In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Atlantic sturgeon were a highly sought after target for commercial caviar fishermen on the Atlantic coast. Overfishing and pollution were initial reasons identified for population declines. Successful fall spawning has occurred for 3 consecutive years in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, SC. A successful temperature regime for fall spawning (without the use of hormones) has been developed for natural tank spawning. Current effort is focused on refining spawning, hatching and rearing techniques.
The Atlantic Sturgeon
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An atlantic sturgeon brood fish at the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, SC.
James Henne/USFWS [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] via Flickr
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An atlantic sturgeon brood fish at the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, SC.
James Henne/USFWS [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] via Flickr
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A decaying sturgeon carcass at at the VCU Rice Center. It was killed by a boat strike.
Tom Woodward, via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
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A decaying sturgeon carcass at at the VCU Rice Center. It was killed by a boat strike.
Tom Woodward, via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
