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Date Published:
  • July 8, 2026

During freshwater residency which extends from spring to fall, adult Gulf Sturgeon undergo a prolonged period of fasting before transiting to marine foraging areas (Mason and Clugston 1993). The lack of freshwater foraging focuses the role of marine habitats in subsequent reproductive success and ultimately is key to the recovery of this species. Improving the limited understanding of marine habitat requirements is emphasized in the Gulf Sturgeon Recovery Plan, which highlights the need for multi-year tracking studies and will also assist in the Biological Assessment required under Section 7 of the ESA. This project, which leveraged large numbers of pre-existing transmitters and passive acoustic receivers, provided much needed information to the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on the spatial temporal patterns of occupancy for the ESA listed Gulf Sturgeon in the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Panama City Division Testing Range and the Panama City OPAREA. This information can be used to provide a framework for subsequent efforts to examine the exposure and response to Navy activities as well as the consequences of these responses on this imperiled species.

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