Fecundity of Atlantic sturgeon (
            Acipenser oxyrinchus
            Mitchill, 1815) captured by the commercial fishery in the Saint John River, New Brunswick, Canada

Juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) movement and distribution varies seasonally within the lower Saint John River Basin. We use acoustic telemetry to track coarse-scale movement and a network-based approach to develop metrics describing distribution and movement patterns of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon tagged in two rivers, the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers. We use principal component analysis to develop indices of movement and residency and test for differences among seasons and between fish from each river. Juvenile Atlantic sturgeon exhibit higher residency during summer months compared with winter and spring. Juveniles are primarily concentrated in the brackish waters of the lower river reaches but make movements as far upriver as rkm 88. There was high variation in distribution and movement patterns exhibited by fish tagged in the Kennebecasis River, ranging from single-location occupancy to wide distribution. Three fish left the system during the study, indicating juveniles embark on brief marine excursions. Identifying spatiotemporal distributions of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon in their natal river systems is a crucial step towards identifying critical habitat and informing management decisions for this species.

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Timing and Location of Spawning Based on Larval Capture and Ultrasonic Telemetry of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Saint John River, New Brunswick

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society ◽

10.1080/00028487.2016.1264471 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 146 (2) ◽

pp. 283-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Andrew D. Taylor ◽

Matthew K. Litvak

Keyword(s):

New Brunswick ◽

Atlantic Sturgeon ◽

Ultrasonic Telemetry ◽

Saint John

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Age and Growth of Atlantic Sturgeon from the Saint John River, New Brunswick, Canada

North American Journal of Fisheries Management ◽

10.1080/02755947.2015.1011359 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 364-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Nathan D. Stewart ◽

Michael J. Dadswell ◽

Paul Leblanc ◽

Rod G. Bradford ◽

Cornel Ceapa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Brunswick ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Atlantic Sturgeon ◽

Saint John

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Fine-scale movement of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) during aggregations in the lower Saint John River Basin, New Brunswick, Canada

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2017-0430 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (12) ◽

pp. 2332-2342 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Margaret M. Whitmore ◽

Matthew K. Litvak

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Space Use ◽

Scale Space ◽

Low Flow ◽

Atlantic Sturgeon ◽

Fine Scale ◽

Vemco Positioning System ◽

Directional Movement ◽

Saint John ◽

Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) form seasonal aggregations near the salt wedge in their natal river systems. We used an array of Vemco positioning system acoustic receivers to track fine-scale movement within aggregation sites in two rivers in the Saint John River Basin. We used the t-LoCoH convex hull construction algorithm to map space use and aggregation behavior and nonmetric multidimensional scaling to test for differences among rivers, seasons, and photoperiods. Aggregation sites consisted of small core areas, where juvenile Atlantic sturgeon remained for long periods, that are adjacent to foraging grounds. This structure was largely consistent between rivers and seasons. Directional movement within aggregation sites differed between rivers. In areas of high flow velocity, directional movement was parallel to flow and largely restricted to littoral areas, whereas areas of low flow exhibited no distinct patterns in directional movement. This indicates flow may be an important driver of fine-scale distribution within aggregation sites. Studies of fine-scale space use can inform future investigations of rearing capacity, aid in the identification of critical habitat, and inform management decisions.

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