Abstract
Green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, movement and migration within the Klamath and Trinity rivers were assessed using radio and sonic telemetry. Sexually mature green sturgeon were captured with gillnets in the spring, as adults migrated upstream to spawn. In total, 49 green sturgeon were tagged with radio and/or sonic telemetry tags and tracked manually or with receiver arrays from 2002 to 2004. Tagged individuals exhibited four movement patterns: upstream spawning migration, spring outmigration to the ocean, or summer holding, and outmigration after summer holding. Spawning migrations occurred from April to June, as adults moved from the ocean upstream to spawning sites. Approximately 18% of adults, those not out mignation in the spring, made spring post-spawning outmigrations. The majority of adults, those not outmigrating in the spring, remained in discrete locations characterized as deep, low velocity pools for extended periods during the summer and early fall. Fall outmigration occurred when fish left summer holding locations, traveled rapidly downstream, and exited the river system. High river discharge due to the onset of winter rainstorms and freshets appear to be the key environmental cue instigating the fall outmigration.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to extend our appreciation to all who contributed to the success of this study. We thank the Yurok Tribal Council for permission to conduct this project on the Yurok Reservation Frankie Meyers played an integral role in collecting field data. Tom Willson and Arnold Nova of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program assisted with the capture of green sturgeon for the project. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Arcata, California, the Karuk Department of Natural Resources, and the Hoopa Valley Tribe provided assistance and personnel during capture, tagging and tracking. In particular Jason Ogawa of the USFWS and Mike Polmateer of the Karuk Tribe provided many hours of assistance during the capture and tagging phases of the study. Joel Van Eenennaam of the University of California Davis, Department of Animal Science provided training and technical support for the surgical protocols used in this study. Mike Belchik and Dave Hillemeier (YTFP), A. Peter Klimley of UC Davis, and two anonymous reviewers provided editorial comments on the manuscript. Funding for this project was provided by the Bureau of Reclamation, Native American Affairs Program, the BOR, Trinity River Restoration Program, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Benson, R.L., Turo, S. & Jr., B.W.M. Migration and Movement Patterns of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the Klamath and Trinity rivers, California, USA. Environ Biol Fish 79, 269–279 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9023-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9023-6