Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, TNACI biologist
The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, TNACI, will mark a new phase in the “Saving the Sturgeon” program on Endangered Species Day, on Friday.
Eight Lake Sturgeon, approximately 20 inches in length, will be released into the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. These fish have been surgically implanted with sonic tags that “broadcast” unique signals to track their movements.
TNACI and its partners have released more than 150,000 Lake Sturgeon to the Tennessee River through captive rearing and reintroduction. But until recently, scientists have struggled to establish a rigorous monitoring program to measure the success of reintroduction.
TNACI received a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA, for more than $17,000 to further expand the tracking capabilities by implanting more tags and installing a sonic tag receiver aboard the River Gorge Explorer.
TNACI has developed a classroom program to help demonstrate this type of research to high school students with plans to pair this program with excursions aboard the River Gorge Explorer.
This release will bring the number of sonic-tagged Lake Sturgeon to 57 in the Tennessee River. A network of 29 receivers has been established from Knoxville to Chattanooga – including one on the Nickajack Dam. A sonic receiver was also installed on a Serodino Barge towboat that makes weekly trips to Knoxville, detecting Lake Sturgeon between the stationary receivers.
Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is listed as endangered in Tennessee. This species is considered vulnerable worldwide.
Members of the Tennessee Lake Sturgeon Working Group (TLSWG) include: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Geological Survey, Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee Technological University, University of Tennessee, Conservation Fisheries Inc., Tennessee Clean Water Network, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and World Wildlife Fund.