Green Sturgeon, Southern DPS

Green Sturgeon
Tagging green sturgeon on Rogue River, Oregon Photo Credit: ©Stephen Sautner, Wildlife Conservation Society

Overview

  • Species Common Name Green Sturgeon
  • Species Scientific Name Acipenser medirostris
  • Federal Listing Status Threatened
  • State Listing Status Sensitive
  • SMU/ESU/DPS/Subspecies Southern DPS

Ecoregions

Special needs

Anadromous species that spawns over areas with large rocks, cobble, and gravels in deep eddies or backflows, and near the head of pools in freshwater. Clean, cold water for proper embryonic development. Nearshore coastal waters and estuaries are also critical habitat.

Limiting factors

Long-lived species with low productivity and relatively low population size. Limited spawning habitat. Predators include sharks and marine mammals. Water quality. Potentially dredging and ocean/estuarine energy projects. Harvest: incidental catch by trawl in the ocean, salmon gillnet fisheries in the Columbia, recreational fisheries in bays, estuaries, and freshwater, and poaching.

Conservation actions

Use species-specific habitat requirements to guide management actions. Recommend recreation opportunities that will minimize disturbance. Minimize incidental catch and bycatch in marine fisheries (nearshore ocean, estuaries, and freshwater). Ensure that development does not occur in habitat (space and time) that may result in negative impacts to green sturgeon.

Key reference or plan

NOAA Listing Decision (Federal Register Notice), Green Sturgeon Recovery Plan is under review by NMFS and expected to be published during 2015.