Lake Sturgeon Research

Assessment of Remnant Population Status
There is a fundamental and critical lack of knowledge regarding the size, status, and stock characteristics of most remnant populations of lake sturgeon currently inhabiting the Lake Michigan basin. As a result, this lack of understanding has hindered efforts to rehabilitate lake sturgeon throughout the watershed, a commitment identified in existing rehabilitation and management plans for this species. To address this need, a basin-wide study has been implemented that will involve cooperative research efforts among three natural resources management agencies (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisconsin and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources) and four public universities (Purdue, Michigan State, and Michigan Technological Universities, and the University of Georgia) to comprehensively assess and characterize the most significant remnant lake sturgeon stocks that persist and spawn in tributaries of Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Specifically, the Purdue University component of this study will examine population abundance and reproductive success of spawning adults, and describe spawner habitat use and availability of spawning and resident lake sturgeon in the St. Joseph and Kalamazoo Rivers, tributaries in southeastern Lake Michigan.

Funding Source: Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Purdue University

Personnel: Daniel Daugherty, Rebecca Zeiber, and Stephanie Shaw (current research technician)

Publications:
• Project not yet completed; project completion date: December 2005

Collaborators: Robert Elliott, Kim Scribner, Edward Baker, Nancy Auer, Douglas Peterson, Thomas Meronek, Gregory Kornely, Marty Holtgren, Tracy Galarowicz, Terrence Lychwick, Steve Lenart, and Kregg Smith

Return to Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Website / Purdue University Research