Scientists use satellites, underwater robot to study
Atlantic sturgeon migrations
More than a century ago, an estimated 180,000 female
Atlantic sturgeon arrived from the coast in the spring to spawn in the Delaware
River and fishermen sought their caviar as a lucrative export to Europe.
Overfishing contributed to steep population declines, however, and today
numbers have dwindled to fewer than 300 adults.
Researchers at the University of Delaware and Delaware State
University are using satellites, acoustic transmitters, an underwater robot and
historical records to pinpoint the ocean conditions that the fish prefer during
migrations — and potentially help fishermen avoid spots where they might
unintentionally catch this endangered species.