Gulf Sturgeon

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Gulf Sturgeon The Central Role of an Iconic
Species in the Suwannee River Initiative
Randy E. Edwards1,, Kenneth J. Sulak2, Michael T.
Randall2 and R. A. Brooks2
1 University of South Florida, College of
Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 2 US
Geological Survey, Center for Aquatic Resource
Studies, Gainesville, FL
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3
Rkm 220
Rkm 273
4

5

• USGS/NBS/USFWS, Gainesville
• Suwannee Sturgeon Publications
• 1. Brooks, R. A. and K. J. Sulak. 2004.
  Quantitative assessment of benthic food resources
  for juvenile Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus
  desotoi, in the Suwannee River estuary, Florida,
  USA. (submitted February 2004 to Estuaries).
• 2. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. 2004.
  Quantitative assessment of benthic food
  resources for juvenile Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser
  oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee River Estuary,
  Florida, USA. Final Project Report to U.S. Fish
  and Wildlife Service, prepared by Coastal Ecology
  and Conservation Research Group, Center for
  Aquatic Resource Studies, Florida Integrated
  Science Center, Gainesville, FL, CEC
  Investigation Report, February 2004.
• 3. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. 2003. Gulf
  sturgeon juvenile trophic habitat and food
  resources in the Suwannee River estuary. Poster
  presented at Estuarine Research Federation,
  biennial meeting, September 2003.
• 4. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. Gulf
  sturgeon juvenile trophic habitat and food
  resources in the Suwannee River estuary. Oral
  paper presented at Symposium on Anadromous
  Sturgeons, American Fisheries Society, Annual
  Meeting, Quebec City, Quebec, August 2003.
• 5. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. 2003. Gulf
  sturgeon juvenile trophic habitat and food
  resources in the Suwannee River estuary. Poster
  presented at Estuarine Research Federation,
  biennial meeting, September 2003.
• 6. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. Gulf
  sturgeon juvenile trophic habitat and food
  resources in the Suwannee River estuary, Oral
  paper presented at 5th Gulf Sturgeon Research
  Workshop, Mobile, AL, October 2003.
• 7. Brooks, R. A., and K. J. Sulak. 2003. Gulf
  sturgeon juvenile trophic habitat and food
  resources in the Suwannee River estuary. Oral
  paper presented at Symposium on Anadromous
  Sturgeons, American Fisheries Society, Annual
  Meeting, Quebec City, Quebec, August 2003.
• 8. Clugston, J. P., Foster, A. M. and S. H.
  Carr. 1995. Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus
  desotoi, in the Suwannee River, Florida, USA.
  pp. In A. D. Gershanovich and T. I. J. Smith
  (eds.) Proceedings of the International Symposium
  on Sturgeons, VNIRO Publishing, Moscow.
• 9. Edwards, R. E, and K. J. Sulak. 2004.
  Inter-river translocations of Gulf sturgeon.
  Oral paper presented at the 6th Gulf Sturgeon
  Research Workshop, Mandeville, LA, 17-18 November
  2004.

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• USGS/NBS/USFWS, Gainesville
• Suwannee Sturgeon Publications
• 10. Edwards, R.E, Parauka, F.M. and K.J. Sulak,
  2004. New insights into marine migrations and
  winter habitats of Gulf sturgeon. Proceedings of
  the Symposium on Anadromous Sturgeons, Special
  Publication of the American Fisheries Society.
  (submitted August 2003 to American Fisheries
  Society Special Publication The Biology of
  Anadromous Sturgeons).
• 11. Edwards, R. E, and K. J. Sulak. 2003.
  Winter habitat use among Gulf sturgeon in Gulf of
  Mexico waters. Oral paper presented at Symposium
  on Anadromous Sturgeons, American Fisheries
  Society, Annual Meeting, Quebec City, Quebec,
  August 2003.
• 12. Edwards, R. E, and K. J. Sulak. 2003.
  Winter habitat use among Gulf sturgeon in Gulf of
  Mexico waters, Oral paper presented at 5th Gulf
  Sturgeon Research Workshop, Mobile, AL, October
  2003.
• 13. Edwards, R. E., K. J, Sulak, C. B. Grimes,
  and M. Randall. 2003. Movements of Gulf
  Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) in
  nearshore habitat as determined by acoustic
  telemetry. Gulf of Mexico Science 2003(1)59-70.
  
• 14. Edwards, R., and K. J. Sulak. 2002.
  Trans-Gulf of Mexico movements of Gulf sturgeon.
  Oral paper presented at Sturgeon Workshop,
  University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg,
  MS, 20 September 2002.
• 15. Edwards, R. E., K. J. Sulak, G. W. Hill, and
  M. Randall. 2001. Why do sturgeon jump?
  Insights from acoustic investigations of the Gulf
  sturgeon in the Suwannee River, Florida. Poster
  paper, presented at Fourth International
  Sturgeon Symposium, Oshkosh, WI, 12-17 July 2001.
• 16. Foster, A. M. and J. P. Clugston. 1997.
  Seasonal migration of Gulf sturgeon Acipenser
  oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee River,
  Florida. Transactions of the American Fisheries
  Society 126 302-308.
• 17. Foster, A. M. 1993. Movement of Gulf
  Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, in the
  Suwannee River, Florida. Masters Thesis,
  University of Florida, Gainesville. 130 p.
• 18. Marchant, S. R. and M. K. Shutters. 1996.
  Artificial substrates collect Gulf sturgeon eggs.
  North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
• 19. Mason, W. T., Jr. and J. P. Clugston. 1993.
  Foods of the Gulf sturgeon in the Suwannee
  River, Florida. Transactions of the American
  Fisheries Society 122378-385.
• 20. Mason, W. T. Clugston, J. P. and A. M.
  Foster. 1992. Growth of laboratory-held Gulf
  sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi). The
  Progressive Fish Culturist 54 59-61.

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• USGS/NBS/USFWS, Gainesville
• Suwannee Sturgeon Publications
• 21. Randall, M. and K. J. Sulak. 2003.
  Year-class structure of the Gulf sturgeon
  population of the Suwannee River, Florida , Oral
  paper presented at 5th Gulf Sturgeon Research
  Workshop, Mobile, AL, October 2003.
• 22. Randall, M. and K. J. Sulak. 2003.
  Year-class structure of the Gulf sturgeon
  population of the Suwannee River, Florida , Oral
  paper presented at 5th Gulf Sturgeon Research
  Workshop, Mobile, AL, October 2003.
• 23. Randall, M. and K. J. Sulak. 2003.
  Year-class structure of the Gulf sturgeon
  population of the Suwannee River, Florida. Oral
  paper presented at Symposium on Anadromous
  Sturgeons, American Fisheries Society, Annual
  Meeting, Quebec City, Quebec, August 2003.
• 24. Smith, T. I. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1996.
  Status and management of Atlantic sturgeon,
  Acipenser oxyrinchus, in North America.
  Environmental Biology of Fishes 48335-347.
• 25. Sulak, K. J. 2003. Invited Paper
  Management implications of the release of
  hatchery Gulf sturgeon into the Suwannee River.
  Propagated Fishes in Resource Management,
  Submitted to Proceedings of Special Symposium
  of the American Fisheries Society, Boise, ID,
  June 2003 (to be published as an AFS Special
  Publication).
• 26. Sulak, K. J. 2003. Thermal refugia and
  trophic dormancy in sturgeons. Symposium on
  Anadromous Sturgeons, Oral paper presented at 5th
  Gulf Sturgeon Research Workshop, Mobile, AL,
  October 2003.
• 27. Sulak, K. J. 2003. Thermal refugia and
  trophic dormancy in sturgeons. Oral paper
  presented at Symposium on Anadromous Sturgeons,
  American Fisheries Society, Annual Meeting,
  Quebec City, Quebec, August 2003.
• 28. Sulak, K. J. 2003. Thermal refugia and
  trophic dormancy in sturgeons. Oral paper
  presented at Symposium on Anadromous Sturgeons,
  American Fisheries Society, Annual Meeting,
  Quebec City, Quebec, August 2003.
• 29. Sulak, K. J. 2001. New insights into the
  life history of the Gulf of Mexico sturgeon in
  the Suwannee River. Oral paper presented at
  Four Rivers, Two States, One Basin A Research
  Symposium for the Suwannee Basin, Suwannee Basin
  Interagency Alliance, Cerveny Conference Center,
  Live Oak, FL, 11-12 April 2001.
• 30. Sulak, K. J. 1998. Synopsis of life
  history, population biology and habitat
  affinities of Gulf sturgeon in the Suwannee
  River. Presented at U.S. Fish and Wildlife
  Sturgeon Workshop, Mississippi Gulf Coast
  Community College, 12 June 1998.

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• USGS/NBS/USFWS, Gainesville
• Suwannee Sturgeon Publications
• 31. Sulak, K. J. 1997. Early life history and
  critical spawning habitat of Gulf sturgeon in the
  Suwannee River. Oral paper presented at
  Sturgeon Workshop, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
  Service, Southeast Region, Folly Beach, SC, 25-27
  March, 1997.
• 32. Sulak, K. J. 1994. Need and rationale for
  application of standards for long-term estuarine
  ecosystem monitoring. Estuarine Workshop,
  Southeastern Biological Science Center, National
  Biological Survey, Gainesville, FL.
• 33. Sulak, K. J., R. A. Brooks, and M. Randall.
  2003. Seasonal refugia and trophic dormancy in
  Gulf sturgeon Test and refutation of the thermal
  barrier hypothesis. (submitted August 2003 to
  American Fisheries Society Special Publication
  The Biology of Anadromous Sturgeons).
• 34. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 2002.
  Survival of experimentally released cultured Gulf
  sturgeon in the Suwannee River, Florida.
  (submitted September 2002 to North American
  Journal of Fisheries Management).
• 35. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1999.
  Recent advances in life history of Gulf of Mexico
  sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi in the
  Suwannee River, Florida, USA A synopsis, IN
  Proceedings of the Third International Symposium
  on Sturgeon (Rosenthal, H., P. Bronzi, D. J.
  McKenzie, G. Arlati and R. Rossi, eds.). Journal
  of Applied Ichthyology 15(4-5, Special
  Issue)116-128. 1999.
• 36. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1998.
  Evaluation of the potential effectiveness of
  hatchery stock enhancement versus habitat-based
  alternatives in the restoration of Gulf sturgeon
  Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee
  River, Florida. Annual Meetings of the American
  Fisheries Society, Florida Chapter, Brooksville,
  FL, 10 March 1998.
• 37. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1998.
  Early life history stages of Gulf sturgeon
  (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) in the Suwannee
  River, Florida. 1998 Transactions of the American
  Fisheries Society 127758-771.
• 38. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1997.
  Life history of the Gulf sturgeon in the
  Suwannee/Big Bend Ecosystem. Presented at the
  University of Florida Big Bend Workshop,
  Steinhatchee, FL, 8 May 1997.
• 39. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1997.
  Early life history, population structure, and
  seasonal movements of Gulf sturgeon Acipenser
  oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee River,
  Florida, USA. INVITED oral paper presented at
  Third International Symposium on Sturgeon,
  Piacenza, Italy, July 1997.

9

• USGS/NBS/USFWS, Gainesville
• Suwannee Sturgeon Publications
• 40. Sulak, K. J. and J. P. Clugston. 1996.
  Synopsis of USGS research progress into early
  life history on the Gulf sturgeon in the Suwannee
  River. Suwannee Basin Interagency Alliance
  Meeting, Okefenokee NWR, Waycross, GA, 3 October
  1996.
• 41. Sulak, K. J., R. E. Edwards, G. W. Hill, and
  M. Randall. 2002. Why do sturgeon jump?
  Insights from acoustic investigations of the Gulf
  sturgeon in the Suwannee River, Florida. 2002
  Journal of Applied Ichthyology 18617-620.
• 42. Sulak, K. J., and M. Randall. 2004.
  Critical spawning habitat, early life history
  requirements, and other life history and
  population aspects of the Gulf sturgeon in the
  Suwannee River. Final Report, Florida Fish and
  Wildlife Conservation Commission, Project
  NG95-125, 105 pp., Florida Fish and Wildlife
  Conservation Commission, Published Report Series,
  Tallahassee, FL.
• 43. Sulak, K. J., and M. Randall. 2002.
  Understanding sturgeon life history Enigmas,
  myths and new insights. Journal of Applied
  Ichthyology 18519-528.
• 44. Sulak, K. J. and M. Randall. 2001.
  Understanding sturgeon life history Enigmas,
  myths and facts. Oral paper presented at Fourth
  International Sturgeon

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35, 37, 38, 39
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• Suwannee River Gulf Sturgeon Data Base
• 19 Years (from 1985 to present)
• Almost 12,000 records
• Recently Adding Data from All Gulf Rivers

21, 22, 23
15
Withlacootchee River
Rkm 220
18
16
Alapaha River
Withlacoochee River
Suwannee River
Cody Scarp
35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
17
35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
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11, 12, 13
Edwards, Sulak, Randall and Grimes. 2003.
Movements of Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus
desotoi) in Nearshore Habitat as Determined by
Acoustic Telemetry. Gulf of Mexico Science. In
Press.
19
2001-2002
Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tag (PAT)
10, 11, 12
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10, 11, 12
21
Apalachicola to Suwannee
7
Inter-System Movements
14
Suwannee to Apalachicola
2
22
Santa FeRiver
Hatch Bend
Oldtown Trestle
8, 16, 17, 39
Manatee Springs
23
Sulak et al., 2002. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 18
(2002), 14
15. 44
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26, 27, 33
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Questions and Issues

• Protection of spawning sites
• Ecology of YOY (including eutrophication, low
  flow and benthic algal blooms)
• Juvenile and subadult estuarine critical habitats

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The End