Please join the Great Lakes Center for a seminar titled “Listening in on lake sturgeon in the Buffalo Harbor”, presented by Jonah Withers of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The seminar will be held Tuesday, March 29th from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Science Building 272. All students, staff and faculty are welcome.
Seminar Abstract: Lake sturgeon Acipencer fulvescens, one of the largest and most long-lived freshwater species endemic to North America (Scott and Crossman 1979), were considered a nuisance bycatch in the early and mid 1800’s. In the late 1800’s, lake sturgeon became targeted for their prized meat and roe once markets became established which, in combination with a suite of other factors, led to a precipitous decline in populations in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (Harkness and Diamond 1961). Recovery efforts are underway and Lake Sturgeon are now allegedly resurging throughout their native range from natural recruitment and/or rehabilitative stocking. Little is known about the status of a remnant population of lake sturgeon in the Buffalo Harbor and upper Niagara River. We are imploring the use of acoustic telemetry to elucidate information gaps about the range and life history aspects of this ancient keystone species.
