Spatio-temporal distribution of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) and White Sturgeon (A. transmontanus) in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento River, California

Miller, Emily A.; Singer, Gabriel P.; Peterson, Matthew L.; Chapman, Eric D.; Johnston, Myfanwy; Thomas, Michael J.; Battleson, Ryan D.; Gingras, Marty; Klimley, A. Peter

doi:10.1007/s10641-020-00972-x

Cited by 15 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…From 2002 to 2014, green sturgeon were surgically implanted with 10-year lifespan acoustic transmitters (n = 350 tagged sturgeon considered for analysis) by scientists from 13 agencies and research groups (21,22,29,30). Tagging and capture methods varied slightly across agencies and research groups and over time but were consistent in the following respects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fish selected for tagging were inverted to initiate a tonic immobility-like state and water flow was provided continuously across their gills. The surgical procedure for these fish is outlined in Miller et al (22) but is reviewed briefly here. A small incision, approximately 30 mm, was made anterior to the pelvic girdle and offset from the midline.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over 300 acoustic receivers (VR2W-69 kHz, Innovasea Inc., Halifax NS, Canada; Fig. 1) have been deployed throughout the Sacramento River, the Inland Delta, the San Francisco Estuary, and nearshore regions of the Pacific Ocean to passively monitor the movements of tagged fish (see also 21,22). During the lifetime of these acoustic telemetry projects, deployment configurations and receiver coverage have varied to address the questions of specific projects.…”

Section: Study System and Acoustic Taggingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All the tagged green sturgeon returned to the Pacific Ocean with none of the tagged fish exhibiting permanent residency in the Sacramento River system. Miller et al (22) reported that green sturgeon were detected in the Sacramento River system during all months of the year, raising the potential that the sDPS green sturgeon population includes partial migration strategies, i.e., some individuals exhibit permanent river residency. River-residents have been described for other sturgeon species, including lake sturgeon (45)(46)(47) and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum; 48).…”

Section: Timing Of Migration Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We did not have similar expectations for out-migration movements. Past observations of green sturgeon have described out-migrations occurring across a span of several months (21, 22), including two pulses of downriver movements in the Klamath and Trinity rivers (northern distinct population segment, see 23).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

Colborne

Sheppard

O'Donnell

et al. 2021

Preprint

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BackgroundUnderstanding movement patterns of anadromous fishes is critical to conservation management of declining wild populations and preservation of habitats. Yet, infrequent observations of individual animals fundamentally constrain accurate descriptions of movement dynamics.MethodsIn this study, we synthesized over a decade (2006–2018) of acoustic telemetry tracking observations of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the Sacramento River system to describe major anadromous movement patterns.ResultsWe observed that green sturgeon exhibited a unimodal in-migration during the spring months but had a bimodal distribution of out-migration timing, split between an ‘early’ out-migration (32%) group during May - June, or alternatively, holding in the river until a ‘late’ out-migration (68%), November - January. Focusing on these out-migration groups, we found that river discharge, but not water temperature, may cue the timing of migration, and that fish showed a tendency to maintain out-migration timing between subsequent spawning migration events.ConclusionsWe recommend that life history descriptions of green sturgeon in this region reflect the distinct out-migration periods described here. Furthermore, we encourage the continued use of biotelemetry to describe migration timing and life history variation, not only this population but other green sturgeon populations and other species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study System and Acoustic Taggingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Timing Of Migration Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

Colborne

Sheppard

O'Donnell

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding movement patterns of anadromous fishes is critical to conservation and management of declining wild populations and preservation of habitats. Yet, the duration of observations for individual animals can constrain accurate descriptions of movements. In this study, we synthesized over a decade (2006–2018) of acoustic telemetry tracking observations of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the Sacramento River system to describe major anadromous movement patterns. We observed that green sturgeon exhibited a unimodal in‐migration during the spring months but had a bimodal distribution of out‐migration timing, split between an “early” out‐migration (32%) group during May–June, or, alternatively, holding in the river until a “late” out‐migration (68%), November–January. Focusing on these out‐migration groups, we found that river discharge, but not water temperature, may cue the timing of migration and that fish showed a tendency to maintain out‐migration timing between subsequent spawning migration events. We recommend that life history descriptions of green sturgeon in this region reflect the distinct out‐migration periods described here. Furthermore, we encourage the continued use of biotelemetry to describe migration timing and life history variation, in not only this population but also other green sturgeon populations and other species.

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The Value of Information is Context Dependent: A Demonstration of Decision Tools to Address Multispecies River Temperature Management Under Uncertainty

Healy,

Runge,

Beakes

et al. 2024

Fisheries

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Trade‐offs among objectives in natural resource management can be exacerbated in altered ecosystems and when there is uncertainty in predicted management outcomes. Multi‐criteria decision analysis and value of information (VOI) are underutilized decision tools that can assist fisheries managers in handling trade‐offs and evaluating the importance of uncertainty. We demonstrate the use of these tools using a case study in the Sacramento River, California, USA, where two imperiled species with different temperature requirements, winter‐run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Green Sturgeon Acipenser medirostris, spawn and rear in the artificially cold Shasta Dam tailwater. A temperature‐control device installed on Shasta Dam maintains cool water for Chinook Salmon; however, uncertainties exist related to the effects of temperatures on the spawning and rearing of both species. We consider four alternative hypotheses in models of early life‐stage dynamics to evaluate the effects of alternative temperature management strategies on Chinook Salmon and Green Sturgeon management objectives. We used VOI to quantify the increase in management performance that can be expected by resolving hypothesis‐based uncertainties as a function of the weight assigned to species‐specific objectives. We found the decision was hindered by uncertainty; the best performing alternative depends on which hypothesis is true, with warmer or cooler alternative management strategies recommended when weights favor Green Sturgeon or Chinook Salmon objectives, respectively. The value of reducing uncertainty was highest when Green Sturgeon was slightly favored, highlighting the interaction between scientific uncertainty and decision makers' values. Our demonstration features multi‐criteria decision analysis and VOI as transparent, deliberative tools that can assist fisheries managers in confronting value conflicts, prioritizing resolution of uncertainty, and optimally managing aquatic ecosystems.

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Spatio-temporal distribution of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) and White Sturgeon (A. transmontanus) in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento River, California

Cited by 15 publications

References 57 publications

Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system

The Value of Information is Context Dependent: A Demonstration of Decision Tools to Address Multispecies River Temperature Management Under Uncertainty

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