Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Largest Population of Sturgeon in the World Likely in the Hudson River

DEC recently announced new research that estimates the population of endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River to be nearly 70,000 individuals, likely making it the largest population of sturgeon anywhere in the world! The study was coauthored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC).

Shortnose sturgeon are among the most endangered animals in the world but were once abundant in rivers along the Atlantic coast. However, their numbers declined dramatically as the result of overfishing and habitat degradation, leading to their listing under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973. During this period, the population in the Hudson River was estimated to be only about 6,000 adults.

In spring 2021, DEC’s Hudson and Delaware Marine Fisheries, in partnership with USGS EESC, Cornell University, University of Delaware, and Delaware State University, embarked on a large-scale project to update estimates for the Hudson’s shortnose sturgeon population using acoustic telemetry in tandem with side-scan sonar to locate and count fish. Acoustic telemetry uses stationary receivers to detect signals emitted from tagged marine species such as sturgeon. Side-scan sonar uses sound waves to create an image of the river floor and objects in the water column. Funding was provided by the Hudson River Foundation and DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Management Program through New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund.

Despite the encouraging population estimate, the study also raises concerns about the sturgeons' vulnerability to localized disturbances. More than 40 percent of the population congregates in a small overwintering habitat, which coincides with an area of high human activity, including commercial shipping and underwater construction.