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Radio Tagged Fish Become Sturgeon Detectives
CHATTAHOOCHEE, Georgia, May 23, 2002 (ENS) - Sterilized sturgeon are being used as living probes to locate wild sturgeon and their habitat in southeastern rivers and the Gulf of Mexico.

Last week, scientists released three captive reared, radio tagged female sturgeon just below the Jim Woodruff Dam on the border of Florida and Georgia. Eight tagged animals were released above the dam, including seven young males and one young female.

Biologists hope the fish will show them where wild populations of sturgeon can survive, and where wild fish are already present.

"We have a lot of questions that we hope this year long study will answer," said Sam Hamilton, southeast regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). "All of these fish have been surgically sterilized and outfitted with radio transmitters so that they can make us aware of suitable Gulf sturgeon habitat for future reintroductions or maybe even unknown wild sturgeon populations."

Another five Gulf sturgeon from the wild population have been tagged and fitted with radio transmitters, so that the behavior patterns of captive reared and wild sturgeon can be compared. All of the fish will be tracked throughout the study, and details about the habitat they are utilizing will be recorded.

Robert Bakal of the Warm Springs Regional Fish Health Center said Gulf sturgeon were once abundant in the Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System. Now the species, listed as threatened in 1991, has just one known population in the system, consisting of 300 to 400 sturgeon located below the Jim Woodruff Dam.

Activities such as dams, dredging, and channel maintenance have depleted populations of Gulf sturgeon. The Gulf sturgeon is found in the Gulf of Mexico and its drainages in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

"We expect that the three females released below the dam will probably join the wild population," said Bakal. "We're hoping that those released above the dam will locate suitable sturgeon habitat or previously undiscovered sturgeon populations there."

Radio tagging studies of this type have never been attempted with Gulf sturgeon. A similar project is now under way with another protected species, the endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Savannah River.

"We're excited to be involved in this pilot sentinel project for the Gulf sturgeon," said Rob Weller, senior fisheries biologist for the wildlife resources division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "We will be using telemetry to monitor their progress and to establish the critical data necessary to aid in this prehistoric fish's recovery to its historic range."

Several of the fish underwent surgery in February to remove cataracts from their eyes - the first fish to ever have this procedure.

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Posted: 29-05-2002 22:45 Post subject:

I'm sorry, (the devil made me say it, honest;),) but...

wasn't there a T.V. show based on this premise called "Police Sturgeon"? Spiny