Atlantic sturgeon are prehistoric looking creatures that have been around since before the dinosaurs. They are bottom feeders, dragging their barbels along the river floor to locate food and then extending their tubular mouths to suck it up. Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River occasionally reach over 200 pounds in weight and six to eight feet in length. These fish are anadromous-- a Greek word meaning "running upward". Atlantic sturgeon spend many years in ocean waters until they mature, then migrate to the freshwater portions of tidal rivers to spawn.

Marine biologists from DEC’s Hudson River Fisheries Unit sample the Atlantic sturgeon spawning area near Hyde Park every June to collect information on the adult fish that have returned to the river to spawn. Data are collected on length, weight and sex, and an electronic tag is inserted into the dorsal fin to track sturgeon movements. Scientists want to know whether the sturgeon prefer sandy or muddy bottom areas, where they travel in the river, when, and for how long, what they eat, and the population trend of this fish.The Hudson River currently supports the largest population of Atlantic sturgeon along the Atlantic Coast, and there are encouraging signs of an increase in abundance.

Watch a short video about Atlantic Sturgeon Monitoring and check out other clips on DEC's YouTube Channel.

Atlantic sturgeon research monitoring and photos were taken under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit No. 20340.