A blood sample is collected from every pallid sturgeon that is implanted with a telemetry transmitter.
A blood sample is collected from every fish that is implanted with a telemetry transmitter. Blood hormone analysis determines estrogen and testosterone levels indicating if the fish is male or female, and if it is reproductive. Analyses of hundreds of such blood samples has created a hormone baseline for the pallid sturgeon. For fish that are recaptured multiple times throughout their participation in the telemetry study, past and future hormone levels are compared to the baseline to determine if the fish recently spawned or if it will be reproductive in the near future.
Plasma separated from the blood by centrifuge of a pallid sturgeon is carefully divided into 3 vials. The plasma samples are immediately frozen for laboratory analysis.
