Scientists from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute will release approximately 50 juvenile Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee River by Coolidge Park on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the small watercraft ramp under the Market Street Bridge in Coolidge Park, 100 River St.
Officials said, "Lake Sturgeon are true river giants – growing up to nine feet long and weighing more than 300 pounds – and they can live to be 150 years old.
"In the 1970s, Lake Sturgeon had all but disappeared from the Tennessee River due to poor water quality, changes to their habitat and over-fishing.
The Lake Sturgeon Working Group – comprised of the Tennessee Aquarium and a cohort of conservation scientists and government agencies – was formed in 1998 to restore the iconic species in Tennessee."
This marks the 24th year that sturgeon have been released in the state. To date, the working group has released more than 330,00 Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.
The Lake Sturgeon is listed as an endangered species in Tennessee.