Josh Vine and Andrew Carlson hold a Gulf Sturgeon

Researchers at the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit track the movement of juvenile Gulf Sturgeon with acoustic telemetry, where strategically-placed stationary telemetry receivers detect fish with implanted sonic tags as they swim past. This passive technique is yielding tens of thousands of detections with minimal effort, and it enables Josh to monitor the spatial and temporal movement of the juveniles in the estuary and river. This research is part of larger project done in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Panama City, Florida. The Choctawhatchee River is one of seven freshwater systems, stretching from the Pearl River in Louisiana to the Suwannee River in Florida, under examination in this multi-state study. Assessing river-specific population trends with this data will inform optimal management and restoration strategies to improve species recovery of the federally-threatened species.