Tagging Green Sturgeon Washington Coast

About

The Southern distinct population segment (DPS) of green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris is federally listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Large aggregations of both the Northern DPS and Southern DPS of green sturgeon can be found congregating in Washington’s coastal estuaries mid-summer. This provides a unique opportunity to capture and study this elusive species. Existing telemetric data indicates that these fish make long migrations along the Pacific Coast with a possible year-round presence in near-shore marine waters along Washington and Oregon’s coastline. The U.S. Navy is interested in the occurrence of the threatened Southern DPS of green sturgeon in the Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) study area, which is offshore of Washington, Oregon, and northern California.