Division of Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologists are currently researching the movement and habitat use of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon in the lower Delaware River using the latest telemetry methods.
The biologists are “tagging” Atlantic sturgeon with acoustic transmitters that can be detected under water using manual and passive tracking or “listening” devices. This allows biologists to determine the location of “tagged” sturgeon throughout the Delaware Estuary so that important juvenile habitats can be identified and protected.
Each transmitter emits a unique identification code so that individual sturgeon can be ID'd while determining its location and depth under water. This information will serve as the foundation for the development of a juvenile survey to assist in monitoring recovery of the threatened Atlantic sturgeon population.
Follow the photo panorama below from the netting of a juvenile sturgeon to monitoring its movements by telemetry.
Fisheries biologists tend a gill net in the lower Delaware River in hopes of catching an Atlantic sturgeon.
Measurements are taken from a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon captured in the lower Delaware River.
Fisheries biologists Cathy Martin and Greg Murphy process a sturgeon prior to surgical implantation of an acoustic transmitter.
An incision is made in the young sturgeon for inserting an acoustic transmitter.
The transmitter is carefully implanted inside the body cavity of the sturgeon.
The incision in the surgeon's ventral cavity is closed using monofilament suture material.
After suturing the incision, the site is covered with a Vaseline and Betadine compound to reduce the chance of infection and the sturgeon is ready for release.
Fisheries biologist Greg Murphy scans the lower Delaware River near Augustine Beach for sturgeon that have been tagged by Fish & Wildlife with acoustic transmitters.
