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The Peninsular Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) is officially mid-way through it's 10th season sampling for juvenile Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon on the St. Marys River, which forms the border between Georgia and Florida. This season started off with a trip to the University of Georgia (UGA) for re-certification to perform surgery (tag implantation) on collected sturgeon. After proving their surgical skills on previously frozen fish at the ABEL Fish Lab on the UGA campus the FWCO staff traveled to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, where they call home during the sturgeon sampling season, to settle in and get ready to focus on monitoring sturgeon.
In the second and fifth week of sampling the crew landed two juvenile Atlantic sturgeon. Fish biologist Cedric Doolittle put his recent training to work and quickly, with the hands of a Hollywood plastic surgeon, implanted VEMCO acoustic tags, PIT tags and collected genetic material from both fish prior to a safe release. A group of acoustic receivers spread throughout the river system allow researchers to monitor the movements and habitat usage of sturgeon over extended periods. This continuous tracking allows for a comprehensive assessment of migratory patterns, spawning sites, and responses to environmental variations.
Bycatch during this field work includes bull sharks, blue crabs, striped bass, flounder, tree trunks, tons of catfish, and large longnose gar. The spring sturgeon season extends through June or until the water temperatures in the St. Marys River get too warm to safely handle and release these beautiful and cool fish. Our fieldwork includes setting gill nets, collecting biological data, and tagging (VEMCO and PIT) individuals. This critical research supports ongoing efforts to protect and recover these ancient, at-risk fish in southeastern river systems.
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