Atlantic Sturgeon

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) is one of the largest and longest-lived anadromous fish in North America. Anadromous fish are born in fresh water, but spend majority of their lives in the ocean, returning to fresh water only to spawn. In New York, mature males immigrate into the Hudson River in early spring, and females follow approximately one month later. After spawning, the adults return to the Atlantic Ocean while juvenile sturgeon remain in the estuary for two to six years before moving to the ocean to mature.

The Atlantic sturgeon was once a major commercial fishery. This fishery was so productive that Atlantic sturgeon were once referred to as "Albany beef" as they were a common source of protein throughout the Hudson Valley. Unfortunately, due to overfishing and their susceptibility to getting caught as bycatch in other fisheries, their populations collapsed and have been slow to recover. The Atlantic sturgeon fishery was shut down in 1998 after an unsuccessful attempt to restore the population. In 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, listed the Atlantic sturgeon as endangered. Even though the Atlantic sturgeon is no longer fished, and possession is illegal, they are still vulnerable to many threats such as bycatch, climate change, environmental events, and a variety of human activities that result in population impacts.

Management

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is responsible for the cooperative interstate management of Atlantic sturgeon. During 1993 through 1995, New York regulated the Atlantic sturgeon fishery with size limits, seasons, area closures, and as more data became available, it became apparent that the Hudson River stock was being overfished. New York implemented a harvest moratorium in 1996. New Jersey followed with a zero quota in the same year. In 1998, the ASMFC adopted Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sturgeon. This amendment banned possession of Atlantic sturgeon in all U.S. Atlantic coastal states. It also recommended that states with spawning populations sample adults every five years and identify bycatch losses in state waters. In 2012, the Hudson River stock was listed as an endangered species as part of the NY Bight Distinct Population Segment. A benchmark stock assessment (PDF) was completed in the fall of 2017 and concluded all coastwide Atlantic sturgeon stocks remain depleted relative to historical levels.

Hudson River Fisheries Unit, Division of Marine Resources and other state and local agencies work cooperatively to gather information about the Atlantic sturgeon through a variety of programs and surveys. To read more about long term monitoring and research being done by the DEC to better conserve the Atlantic sturgeon, visit the pages below.

Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon Index

DEC abundance index for juvenile Atlantic sturgeon collected in the Hudson River.

Reporting Dead Sturgeon

Report observations of dead sturgeon to DEC's Marine Life Incident Report online survey. For questions or more information about fish kills, contact [email protected] or call 631-444-0714 for marine waters or 845-256-3199 on the Hudson River.

For more information on sturgeon in the Hudson River region, contact DEC by calling 845-256-3073 or emailing [email protected].

When reporting, please provide the following information:

• Specify the location of the fish carcass. Please be as specific as possible and provide coordinates, if possible.
• Note the condition of the fish - really rotted or fresh kill.
• Identify any signs of trauma, and if present, where on the fish.
• Estimate the total length of the carcass (measure from nose to tip of upper tail [caudal] fin) or whatever is left of the carcass.
• Describe any external tags found on the fish - usually a yellow streamer at or near the base of the dorsal fin; a second external mark can be a missing left pelvic fin clip.
• Take a photograph of the entire fish and any injury and include a picture of the head and mouth to verify the species.
• Send all information and pictures to the DEC email above.
• Do not handle the fish, leave it where you found it - possession of Atlantic or shortnose sturgeon is prohibited.

Protecting Atlantic Sturgeon in the Marine Environment

Atlantic Sturgeon Salvage Program

Atlantic sturgeon are commonly found off the coast of Long Island during the spring and fall. During this time human and sturgeon interactions may increase due to the presence of sturgeon in areas typical of human activities, such as commercial fishing and boating. Sturgeon may be injured or killed accidentally due to these activities and deceased Atlantic sturgeon may wash up on beaches. Carcasses are most commonly found on ocean beaches, but occasionally along Long Island Sound beaches as well. In order to better conserve this species, it's important to collect information about these wash ups. NYSDEC staff have placed signs across Long Island to provide information to the general public about the Atlantic sturgeon, displaying a number to call if they encounter one, live or dead. If you encounter a live or deceased Atlantic sturgeon in the marine environment, including Long Island Sound, please contact our office by calling (631) 444-0444.

Please visit our Main Atlantic Sturgeon webpage to review the protocol on how to report a sturgeon sighting

Increased Observer Coverage

The NYSDEC has provided funds to NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) to increase observer coverage of commercial fishing vessels landing catch in New York and fishing using trawls, gillnets or pot/traps. This increased coverage will help monitor Atlantic sturgeon populations and bycatch rates. Please visit the Fishery Observer Coverage webpage to learn more about the increased observer coverage.

Atlantic Sturgeon Acoustic Tagging Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Atlantic Sturgeon Acoustic Tagging Program was implemented to provide funds for a number of projects to gather data and develop conservation strategies for the Atlantic sturgeon in the Northeastern US, including spawning habitat assessment, tracking marked individuals, genetics and stock assessment. NYSDEC, Marine Protected Resources Unit, collaborates with Stony Brook University, and Hudson River Fisheries Unit and scientists from Delaware State University and Monmouth University to gather movement data from coastal and ocean regions, rivers and freshwater habitats. By acoustically tagging juvenile and adult Atlantic sturgeon, this work has helped to determine movement patterns of sturgeon and determine where they are spending most of their time and when and where they are migrating along the coast. This project was the first to find aggregation areas for sturgeon off of the coast of Long Island (areas where large groups of sturgeon form, and remain for periods of time during migration). Finding and protecting such areas is important to the protection of this species.

Data has been gathered from the Acoustic Tagging Program since 2004, however, there are still many questions to be answered involving spawning locations and population size, as well as comparing ocean and Hudson environments. Luckily, data from our Acoustic Tagging Program, combined with mortality data derived from the Atlantic Sturgeon Salvage Program, provides biologist with adequate information about the Atlantic sturgeon populations in the Northeast US and will continue to provide them with data to effectively conserve this species.

More Information and Questions

If you have questions or would like any additional information about anything you see on this page, please contact us by calling the Marine Protected Resources Unit.

Learn more about the research Stony Brook University is doing to help NYSDEC conserve the Atlantic sturgeon.