Living Dinosaurs of the Hudson: Shortnose Sturgeon Science and Recovery
USGS Friday's Findings Webinar - March 20, 2026
From sustaining Native communities to supplying the caviar trade, sturgeons have shaped the Hudson River’s history.
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026, 2:00–2:30 pm ET / 11:00–11:30 am PT
Speaker: Shannon White, Research Biologist, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center
Like many sturgeon species across the globe, shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River were pushed to the brink of extinction a century ago. Among the first fish protected under the Endangered Species Act, they remain federally endangered today. Decades of dedicated conservation have led to promising signs of recovery—but the true status of the population remains uncertainty. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey are helping close that gap, pairing new population estimates with innovative studies of movement and habitat use. Together, this work is delivering the clearest picture yet of one of the Hudson’s iconic fishes and advancing tools that are shaping sturgeon conservation worldwide.
Join us as Shannon gives us an overview of the history and significance of the shortnose sturgeon to the Hudson River, as well as the methods and technology USGS scientists are using to track populations over time.