Status and restoration of Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeons in Georgia

STATUS A N D RESTORATION OF ATLANTIC AND SHORTNOSE STURGEONS I1V GEORGIA
Commercial Fisheries Programl Marine Fisheries Section2 Coastal Resources Division3
Georgia Department of Natural Resources One Conservation Way
Brunswick, Georgia 3 1523 September 1995
Submitted to the Southeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce, St. Petersburg, Florida in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Anadromous Grants Program project award number NA46FA102-01 (April 1, 1994 - April 30, 1995; including a one-month, no-cost extension) to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Contributing Authors and Editors: 'Wendi Weber, Gordon Rogers, and Jim Music 2Ron Michaels and Susan Shipman 3 ~ i mRichardson

One Conservation Way, Brunswick, Georgia 31523-8600

September 28, 1995

Lonice C. Barrett, Commissioner Duane Harris, Director
Coastal Resources Division
9 121264-7218 FAX 9121262-3143

Mr. David Pritchard Chief Cooperative Programs National Marine Fisheries Service
Southeast Regional Office - Koger Building
9721 Executive Center Drive St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Dear Mr. Pritchard:
Enclosed are three copies of the revised Completion Report for Georgia's Anadromous Fisheries Research Project, Award No. NA46FA102, entitled "Status and Restoration of Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeons in Georgia." We apologize for the delay in its submission. However, after a careful editorial review, some changes were made which improved the quality of the report. Thank you for your patience in this matter.
Sincerely,

enclosures
CC: Duane Harris Susan Shipman Jim Music

Ron Michaels Federal Aid Coordinator

STATE:

GEORGIA

GRANT NUMBER:

NA46FA 102-01

PROJECT TITLE:

ANADROMOUS GRAWS PROGRAM

STUDY TITLE:

STATUS AND RESTORATION OF ATLANTIC AND SHORTNOSE STURGEONS IN GEORGIA

PERIOD COVERED:

APRIL 1, 1994 - APRIL 30, 1995

STUDY OBJECTIVES;

To characterize Georgia's commercial Atlantic sturgeon harvest; to determine habitat utilization and population status of sturgeons;
to estimate abundance of shortnose sturgeon in the Ogeechee River; and to determine occurrence of sturgeons in the St. Marys
River .

PREPARED BY: APPROVED BY:

COASTAL RESOURCES DIVISION

9/2E;/TC
DATE

STATUS AND RESTORATION OF ATLANTIC AND SHORTNOSE STURGEONS
LPJ GEORGIA
Con~mercialFisheries Program1 Marine Fisheries Section2 Coastal Resources Division3
Georgia Department of Natural Resources One Conservation Way
Brunswick, Georgia 3 1523 September 1995
Submitted to the Southeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce, St. Petersburg, Florida in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Anadromous Grants Program project award number NA46FA102-01 (April 1, 1994 - April.30, 1995; including a one-month, no-cost extension) to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Contributing Authors and Editors: 'Wendi Weber, Gordon Rogers, and Jim Music 'Ron Michaels and Susan Shipman 3Jin~Richardson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE

PAGE

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Metho&
Commercial Catch Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Study Areas and Fishery-Independent Sample Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
TheOgeechee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The St. Marys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sampling on the Ogeechee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sampling on the St. Marys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Catch Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Treatment of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Commercial Fishery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Physicochemical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Individual Fish Information. Capture/Recapture Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Catch Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Rsulds and Dgcussion
The Commercial Fishery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Fishery-Independent Sampling in the Ogeechee River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Fishery-Independent Sampling in the St. Marys River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Research and Management Reco endations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Literature Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

INTRODUCTION
Atlantic (Acipemer oxyrhynchus) and shortnose (A. brevirosmtm) sturgeons have historically cooccurred in drainages throughout their range from the St. John River in Canada to the St. Johns River in Florida. A lack of recent records of both species in the St. Johns River, FL and Chesapeake Bay drainages, and for Atlantic sturgeon in drainages entering Pamlico Sound, NC brings into question the contiguous nature of the animals' distribution and/or their continued existence in certain drainages.
Historical fisheries existed for both species, closed throughout the Unites States during the early 1970s for shortnose sturgeon (listed as endangered by the National Marine Fisheries Service), and either closed or tightly re-regulated for Atlantic sturgeon (including the Gulf subspecies, A. o. desotoi) during the mid- 1980s to mid- 1990's (see ASMFC 1990 and Rogers et al. 1994). The Gulf subspecies is listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service as threatened. New York and New Jersey were the last states to come into compliance with the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) plan. In Georgia, the ecology and life history of Atlantic sturgeon, their fishery, and the regulatory structure has recently been reviewed in great detail (Rogers et al. 1994). Today's fishery for Atlantic sturgeon is remnant in nature, with management goals aimed at recovering the stock(s) to a sustainable yield averaging 10%of the historical peak production (ASMFC 1990, or 9,400 kg per annum). A management program that achieved this level of consistent production would place annualized value of sturgeon and sturgeon products at $128,000 (1994 dollars, unadjusted for inflation), and would position the fishery sixth in value among the state's commercial fisheries, third in value among the state's commercial finfish fisheries, slightly edging the long-term average for shads (Alosa spp.). It is difficult to assess what value and impact a sport fishery for Atlantic sturgeon might have in Georgia. Such fisheries exist for sturgeons outside the eastern U. S., but both shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon stocks have been depressed for so long that there is no history of recreational exploitation on which to base estimates. To date, five inquiries from private citizens andlor the press have been made concerning the potential for recreational fishing of sturgeons once recovery goals are achieved.
Management goals for Atlantic sturgeon appear to be on track for an eventual recovery, and should be first detectable during the 1999 or 2000 season (Rogers et al. 1994). The adult stock of Atlantic sturgeon, at least in the Altamaha River, is currently conserved to the degree that the ASMFC's proximate management goal (50% escapement of females to spawn at least once prior
to first vulnerability to legal harvest) is greatly exceeded: >80% escape legal harvest to spawn
at least twice and >90% escape to spawn at least once.
Some fishery managers and scientists have argued that the goal of achieving 10% of historical production cannot be met due to the fallacious nature of turn-of-the-century landings efforts. Older estimates of fisheries production may, in fact, be lower in magnitude than actual landings due to the census nature of the statistical collection design. It remains unclear as to how ecological perturbations (Rogers et al. 1994) and genetic constraints may affect stock recovery goals, or whether goals were "calculated" to account for lost production capacities among

sturgeon-supporting ecosystems. Fundamental differences in life history traits among Atlantic sturgeon north and south of Cape Hatteras may warrant future changes in the regulatory structure once recovery is achieved. However, recovery may not be achievable under present conditions in all river systems.
There is ample evidence that certain Atlantic sturgeon stocks are severely constrained by anthropogenic changes to or changes in access to spawning habitat (see review in ASMFC 1990), and there is mounting evidence that certain stocks are severely constrained by anthropogenic effects on nursery habitats (Moser and Ross 1993; Rogers et al. 1994). Unclear is whether evidence of stock mixing at distance from natal areas (see Waldman et al. Submitted) is functionally related to ensuring that genetic bottlenecks in stock structuring are avoided. Knowledge of genetic structuring remains unclear, and certain stocks (e.g. the Savannah and the Ogeechee in Georgia, see Rogers et al. 1994; the Cape Fear in North Carolina, see Moser and Ross 1993) could already be depressed to dangerously low levels. Similar problems are noted for shortnose sturgeon (the Cape Fear, Moser and Ross 1993; the Savannah, Smith et al. 1993; the Ogeechee, Rogers and Weber 1994), with danger of genetic isolation higher due to that species' degree of isolation among river drainages (SNSRT, draft).
In Georgia, both sturgeon species are known to occur (from north to south) in the Savannah River which forms the South Carolina border, in the Ogeechee River on the southern side of the metropolitan Savannah area, and in the Altamaha River which is located roughly midway along the coast (Figure 1). Unsurveyed are the Satilla River south of Brunswick and the St. Marys River on the Florida border. Previous studies of the Ogeechee River populations (Rogers and Weber 1994 - shortnose; Rogers et al. 1994 - Atlantic) revealed populations with "abnormal" population structures when contrasted with comparable datasets from the Altamaha River system
+ (Flournoy et al. 1992; Rogers et al. 1994; Rogers and Weber 1995). Younger individuals at
sizes equivalent to ages 1 and 2+ (30 - 48cm FL) were relatively scarce, and total numbers of individuals (<300 of either species) oversummering in the estuarine zone were low. Population sizes and structures for both species have more in common with those animals inhabiting the industrialized Savannah River delta than the much more pristine Altamaha system. Furthermore, records of commercial landings prior to regulation (Table 1) indicate relative scarcity among Atlantic sturgeon in the Savannah, Ogeechee, Satilla, and St. Marys rivers. Not since 1981 has any one river's production outstripped the Altarnaha.
The objectives of this study were (1) to further build the database on the age, size, and sex structuring of the Atlantic sturgeon harvest, (2) to further characterize summertime habitat utilization patterns and population size structures of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeons, and estimates of total numbers of shortnose sturgeon in the Og h e a v e r , and (3) to survey the St. Marys River for the occurrence of the two species.

Figure 1. The Georgia coast, illustrating the relative locations of its five Atlantic slope drainages.

METHODS
Due to the remnant nature of the fishery, it has remained practical throughout the GDNR study to attempt a complete census of Atlantic sturgeon landings in Georgia. Contemporary shortening of the season has increased the facility with which landings are censused. Commercial harvests from all five rivers have been monitored.
Two processors of flesh and roe were active during the project period, and were the continued focal point of all fishery-dependent sampling efforts. One was 1 t d on the north side of the Altamaha delta at Darien and the other in mid-town Savannah, situated between the Ogeechee and Savannah rivers. No spatial bias is introduced by sampling these two disparate locations. Fishermen bring their fresh (usually live) product directly to market from the catch gear. On the Altamaha many catches are delivered by boat. Catches made remote from the two processors are delivered under wet tarps on the back of light trucks. Contact at the dealers and presence on the Altamaha River permitted much interaction with the fishermen. It was thus rather straightforward to ascertain the number of fishermen participating in the fishery, and their disposition by river system and river reach.
It is unlikely that any landings have occurred at dealers other than those identified in the protocol. Substantial effort to ferret out new dealers has been expended on an annual basis through interviews with fishermen and dealers. Also, processing sturgeon ovaries into caviar is a very specialized activity, hindering the expansion of landing sites. Furthermore, with regard to landings "lost" over state lines, current law prohibits possession of any sturgeon species in adjacent jurisdictions of South Carolina and Florida. It is possible that in past years illegal harvest of fish from South Carolina and Florida rivers have entered the Georgia census, but the 1995 landings are confirmed to have originated in Georgia (Altamaha).
Dealers were contacted each year prior to the commercial sturgeon season and advised of the status and continued goals of the project. They have been extremely cooperative in obtaining data from commercially landed sturgeon. This cooperation has allowed development of a continuous data set since the project was initiated in 1985, stretching through the development and implementation of the revised regulatory environment. With the completion of this project, data are now available for contrasting five years of pre-regulation information (1985-89) with five years of post-regulation information (1990-94).
Fishery-dependent data collected are individual: fork (FL), total v L ) , and carcass lengths (cm); fish round and dressed weights (kg); ovary weights (kg, round and processed); sex (if determinable); river, exact location (when obtainable), date, and gear of capture; fisherman's name (when obtainable); ex-vessel and processed values (unadjusted dollars). Pectoral fins, for use as aging structures, were removed from most individuals with a hacksaw at the p i n t of articulation. While still in the field, the spines (marginal fin rays) were removed by separating them from other pectoral rays with a sharp knife. Approximate weight data were frequently obtained by a fish processor saving head, entrails, and tail parts for later weighing by project

staff, then added to carcass and ovary (if applicable) weights from individual weigh-out or pay slips. Spines from juvenile fish were available from individuals captured in the commercial fishery prior to 1990 and were also removed from fish collected during fishery-independent sampling (see below).
Spines were air dried for approximately three months by hanging them from the rafters of an outside building. The spines were sectioned and analyzed according to the method described by Cuerrier (195I), refined by project staff (see also Torrey-Ansley 1989, 1990;Woodward 199l), and investigated in great detail for white sturgeon by Brennan and Cailliet (1989). Sections were obtained utilizing an Isomet Saw with a continuous rim, high concentration, wafenveld diamond blade measuring 10.2cm X 0.03cm X 1.3cm. Fin ray sections were viewed with a low magnification, dissecting microscope, and "annuli" counted. Annuli were considered to be narrow clear zones adjacent to wide opaque zones.
As spines have been analyzed by only one reader, age data are not presented for lack of two additional readers. They will, however, be incorporated to any age-length keys submitted for publications.
- The Ogeechee - - Rising in the lower piedmont of Georgia, the Ogeechee empties to the
Atlantic Ocean through the Ossabaw Sound estuary (Figure 1). The Canoochee River arm rises in the upper coastal plain and flows through minimally disturbed Department of Defense (U. S. Army) property for the last 84.4km of its length. The confluence of the two arms occurs at Ogeechee River kilometer (Oge rkm) 55 near the head of tidal influence and in the vicinity of the fresh/salt water interface. Interstate Highway 95 crosses the Ogeechee a few hundred meters downstream of the confluence. Both streams are considered blackwater (acid-laden, nutrientpoor). However, the Ogeechee has shown increasing nutrification over the last two decades as evidenced by deposition of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds in upper estuarine sediments (H. Windom, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, personal communication). Land-use patterns include small municipalities, significant agricultural and silvicultural interests, and light industry throughout the basin. Only along the Canoochee arm within the military reservation does the landscape approach pre-contact condition, and even there are significant sources of anthropogenic inputs. There are 41 NPDES permits controlling industrial and municipal discharges to the waters of the basin; it is unclear what relative contributions agricultural, silvicultural, and pointsources have made to the eutrophication of the Ogeechee River system.
The vegetation surrounding the lower reaches of the system consists of mixed hardwood and
cypress swamp grading to SpartinaiJuncus spp. salt marsh toward the Atlantic Oc Semidiurnal tides average 2. lm and range from 1.6 to 2.7m above mean low water. Mid-
ebbtide current velocity at Oge rkm 22 has been measured at 0.76m*s-' under moderate river discharge (50m3'sec-') conditions (Windom and Beck 1971). The Ogeechee-Canoochee system drains approximately 14,300km2of Georgia terrain, with only 5% in the piedmont region. Discharge averaged 77.8m3*s-l over the period 1950-88, within an overall range of 3.71 to 745m3*s-', and a range of monthly averages of 4.7 to 414.8m3*s-'. The Canoochee subbasin

contributes an average of approximately 16% of these totals, ranging from around 12% during low-flow periods to slightly more than 19% during flood stages. Discharge peaks normally occur during the winter and spring, or are associated with brief tropical weather systems during late summer and early fall. Discharges from the two systems are rarely out of phase from one another, nor from a lesser tributary, Black Creek, due to the close and parallel arrangement of the two subbasins.
An old (18th century) system of rice plantation canals connects the northern arm of the Ossabaw Sound estuary to the Ogeechee proper over a span of Oge rkm 39 to 48. This stretch ranges from oligohaline to fresh tidal conditions. These connections tend to channel waters from the saltier subsystem to the freshwater river during flood tides. This "ricefield effectqqhas been noted by Windom and Beck (1971) and Rogers et al. (1984) under various discharge conditions. The usual manifestation is a "slug" of more saline water "stranded" between two stretches of water exhibiting fresher conditions. At times, the effect is only noticeable as a slight elevation of conductivity, only measurable in a stratified layer near the bottom that does not exist a short distance downstream. Under other conditions, easily observed elevations of measurable salinity are present throughout the water column over the linear range of the affected water mass. Such variability is likely produced by a complex interplay of physical forces including the size of the connections, the geomorphology of the river channel, river discharge, neaphpring tidal cycles, water temperature, and wind vectors.
The St. Marys - - - An excellent description of the St. Marys River and its basin appears in
KBN (1993). The basin spans an area of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia comprising approximately 4,100 km2 of a variety of coastal plain upland communities, large pocosin wetlands, pond pine pocosin wetlands, Carolina Bay wetland, cypress pond wetlands, a variety of riverine swamp communities, and tidal wetland communities similar to those of the lower Ogeechee River. Total area is more uncertain than for most drainage basins due to the indiscrete division of Okefenokee Swamp inputs to the headwaters of its two distributaries, the St. Marys and Suwannee rivers. Discharge of the St. Marys averaged 4.31m3*s-I over the period 1950 to 1988, with a range of monthly averages of 9.23 to 30.5 m3*s-'. Discharge patterns in the basin are more subject to the vagaries of weather patterns in the coastal zone due to the location of the entire basin over a relatively small portion of that landscape, and are reflected in a much higher coefficient of variation in average discharge (140%) when compared to the Ogeechee (102%), the piedmont-dominated Altamaha (89%) or the piedmont- and flowregulated Savannah (57%). The subtropical nature of the ecosystem is also strongly reflected in discharge patterns that feature September rather than one of the winter or spring months with the highest long-term m monthly discharge, a statistic at strong variance with patterns in all four other Atlantic slope drainages. The waters of the basin are acid- and humic-substance laden, low in pH, poorly buffered, and nutrient-poor, more strongly so than the Ogeechee River due to a total absence of upper coastal plain and piedmont inputs. Water chemistry is, however, quite similar to the Canoochee branch of the Ogeechee system.
There are 14 NPDES-permitted discharges to the St. Marys basin, of which six (including the five largest) are substantially seaward of the tidally-influenced study area. Upland land-use

patterns an much less complex than those of other Georgia drainages due to the predominance
of silvicultural interests in the area. Forests and timberland comprise 86% of land use in the four major counties of the basin (KBN 1993). Water quality is generally good in the basin, though KBN (1993) has noted that as a blackwater stream, the St. Mays carries a naturally low dissolved oxygen load.
Sampling on the Ogeechee - - - Trammel net sampling for sturgeon species was conducted from
1 June 1994 to 12 March 1995 during daylight hours. Stations were sampled with trammel nets fished in a stab fashion. The details of net construction and fishing technique are well documented in Rogers and Weber (1994) and Rogers et al. (1994). A reach of the river from Oge rkm 45.4 to 57.1, and in the Canoochee for Can rkm 0 to 4.4, was known from the earlier studies to provide summer habitat for Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, while areas outside that zone did not. Within this zone, seven stations had produced catches of sturgeon during the summer of 1993. A completely randomized design within the depth strata defined by the stations was sampled from 1 June to 18 August 1994. Additional fishing effort was deployed throughout the study period on a targeted basis, aimed at capturing adult-sized fish for a concurrent telemetry study funded by the Department of Defense. Targeted effort was deployed at all of the "standard" stations and at 45 additional locations, primarily seaward but also up to l0km upstream, outside the core study area.
+ Prior to each net set, salinity ( 1- 0.5"/00), dissolved oxygen (+/- 0. 1/000),water temperature
(+I- 0.2SC), and conductivity (+/- 25umhos) at the surface, lm, mid-depth, and river bottom 0.25 to 0.5m above the substrate were recorded using YSI models 33 and SIB multimeters. Instruments were internally calibrated prior to each use and bench calibrated to known standards weekly. Bottom depth, tide stage, and weather conditions were also recorded. Additionally a study-area-wide survey was conducted 11 times from Oge rkm 16.1 or (more often) 24.1 upstream to 65 or (less often) 70, extending up the Canoochee arm to its rkrn 4.4. These surveys comprised identical vertical profiles to trammel-net station data, taken at midriver approximately every one kilometer.
Sampling on the St. Marys - - - A preliminary acoustic survey of the lower St. Marys River
from rkm 24 to 63 identified the salinity zone where summer habitat in the Savannah (Smith et al. 1993), Ogeechee (Rogers and Weber 1994; Rogers et al. 1994), and Altamaha (Rogers et al. 1994) has been identified, and yielded 25 potential sampling locations straddling the fresh/saltwater interface. Eighteen of the 25 stations were fishable, such that seven were sampled only once, and were thus incorporated to a randomized design for sampling. Sampling was conducted from 23 May to 8 September 1994. Sampling effort during a seven-day week was allocated randomly to the 25 (and eventually 18) locations, such that most stations were sampled three to five times during the period. Net construction and deployment were identical to methods in the Ogeechee River and other cited studies. Beginning 30 June 1994 and extending to the end of the study period, additional fishing effort was deployed in a non-random
fashion in an attempt to catch sturgeon of either species. This effort included the core study area
and extended operations another 18km upstream to Strn rkrn 82, adding another five sampling locations. Methods for physicochemical data collection were identical to those used in the

Ogeechee system. A study-area-wide survey of physicochemical conditions was conducted five times during the study period, three encompassing Stm rkm 24 to 65, two extending to Stm rkm 82.
Catch Handling All captured sturgeon were weighed to the nearest 0. lkg (+I- 0.2kg). Fork (FL) and total lengths (TL) were measured to the nearest 0.5cm. Sturgeon captured and determined to be in lively condition were externally tagged with "T" bar tags, one in the fleshy lobe of each pectoral fin. A legend indicating a reward for return was covered by a fused layer of clear polyethylene.
Treatment of Data
ercial Fishery - - - Landings data were summarized by sex, size (weight), river,
gear, and date. Participation data are summarized by river and year. Data were examined for geographic (landings and participation) and temporal (all parameters) trends, particularly with regard to information available from before the present regulatory structure was in place. The accuracy of ages obtained from readings of Atlantic sturgeon spines are subject to a variety of interpretations (see discussion in Woodward 1991), and are currently under investigation using examinations of microstructure in samples of fish taken from Mid-Atlantic waters (E. Houde, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, online communication via SECOR@CBL.UMD.EDU).
Physicochemical Data - - - Salinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and temperature data were
plotted over the period of record for examination of temporal and spatial trends. Comparisons of catch, recapture, and biotelemetry information to physicochemical data were made for purposes of producing information on distribution, relative abundance, and estimates of abundance. In general, ranges and average conditions on appropriate temporal scales are presented, with detailed observations presented with reference to particular phenomena.
- Individual Fish Infomation, Capture/Recapture - - Data on individual fish lengths at
capture were summarized by examining ranges and comparing data to previous studies. The details of nursery function in the two river systems examined (see Torrey-Ansley 1989, 1990; Woodward 1991; Rogers and Weber 1994; Rogers et al. 1994; and information presented below) allow calculations of sturgeon densities based on experimental recaptures during certain summer conditions. Woodward (1991) first discussed the apparent lack of movement among nursery sites in the Altamaha River during the summers of 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989. This idea was tested more fully by Rogers et al. (1994) in the Altamaha and Og hee rivers and appears to be confirmed for short durations and limited areas during most summers.
- Catch Data - - Trammel net catch data were standardized to a coinmon or standard fishing unit
(sfu) based on the shortest net-length*time product used as a denominator. The resulting fraction (fish/sfu) was plotted over time and space to examine trends in Atlantic sturgeon distribution and abundance. No attempt was made to further standardize data among stations or river systems based, for example, on the proportion of the width or length of the hole or depression sampled by the deployed gear. Such calculations would require detailed knowledge of localized sturgeon movements under the sampled conditions, leading to indices of catchability, which are not

presently available. Thus, calculations of sturgeon densities on a per area basis are not possible, and we are in a position to present and discuss only the relative catch rates, using the taglrecapture estimates of abundance for discussing relative densities.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Commercial Fishery Five fish were harvested during the 1995 commercial season (15 February - 15 April). Total (live) weight was 447kg, with carcasses valued at $1,672 and roe products at $6,256, a total exvessel value of $7,928. Vital and other statistics for the five are:

1.

- - Female in set, Lewis Cr. (Altamaha),
02/27/95, 73kg, 2.13m FL, 1Okg roe

weight

2.

- Female in set, Penhollaway Cr. (Altamaha),
03/17/95, 89kg, 2.34m FL, roe unusable

3. Female in set, Lewis Cr. (Altamaha), 03/17/95, 91kg, 2.31m FL, 11.9kg roe

4.

- Female in set, Altamaha, 03/17/95, 73kg,
2.01111 FL, 13kg roe

5. Female in set, Lewis Cr. (Altamaha), 03/21/95, 121kg, 2.51m FL, 16.8kg roe

This harvest is a continuation of the trend of lower harvests (Table I), larger individual sizeslages, preponderance of sturgeon caught in set nets (Table 2), and a smaller proportion of males harvested (also Table 2) since re-regulation of the fishery first became effective during the 1990 season. The current trend is that the Altamaha supports the only extant fishery of note, raising questions about the suitability of habitat as well as the level of effort expended in other rivers.

ime were expended with trammel-net dy period. Three hundred ninety six 9 hours 20 minutes in the Can River arm. Adjusted for net size, a total of 11,111.53 standardized fishing units (sfu9s)were expended, with 98% in the Ogeechee main stem. Of the effort in the two arms, 16% of the effort in the main stem was integral to the randomized design with the remaining 84% targeted

at (priinarily) adult-sized shortnose sturgeon. In contrast, 72 % of the standardized effort expended in the Canoochee was integral to the randomized design. Overall, 61 Atlantic and 34 shonnose sttlrgeon were collected, measured, tagged, and released. Four of the Atlantic sturgeon were recaptured from 23 releases made during 1993 (Rogers and Weber 1994),and five shortnose were similarly recaptured from 36 releases made during 1993. Including fish marked during the study period, summer recaptures of fish during 1994 were 13 Atlantic sturgeon of 46 at large, and 13 shortnose sturgeon of 45 at large.
Based on length/age relationships, over 75 % of the shortnose sturgeon collected during the study were adult-sized individuals, similar to results from sampling during 1993. Although all Atlantic
sturgeon collected were juveniles, only two fish < 50cm FL were collected, indicating very few
+ age 1 and 2+ individuals in the population. Modal sizes remain at 80-90cm FL, fish shown + from a preliminary age/length key to be 3+year, and mostly 4 year-old individuals (see Rogers
et al. 1994). Gear selectivity bias for these size groups is not known. Potential reasons for these results have been discussed at length for both species (Rogers and Weber 1994; Rogers et al. 1994), centering on compromised nursery function and/or compromised spawning success, with few successful year classes since 1991 or 1992.
Physicochemical conditions in the Ogeechee River estuary were both cooler (Figure 2) and "wetter" (Figure 3) during 1994 than during 1993. Mean summertime temperatures during 1994 only occasionally exceeded 28C in the study area, whereas temperatures consistently exceeded that mark during 1993. Increased river discharge during the latter part of June and through to September displaced the freshhalt water interface 24 to 40 kilometers downstream (Figure 4). The distribution of sturgeons as reflected in mean catch rates (Figures 5 and 6) shifted to a less aggregated, more widely occurring pattern in 1994 than during 1993. The trend is more pronounced for Atlantic than for shortnose sturgeon, but is noticeable in both cases. Similar results have been noted for the two species in the Altamaha system during cooler, wetter summers (Flournoy et al. 1992 and Rogers et al. 1994). It has also been shown that whether under conditions of restricted or more widespread availability of fresh tidal habitat, Atlantic sturgeon are generally more widely distributed than shortnose, though still associated with the fresh/salt water interface (Rogers et al. 1994). Such physicochemical conditions and resultant distributional patterns may reflect more availablejuvenile habitat during cooler, wetter summers, and therefore less reliance on whatever thermal refugia (see Flournoy et al. 1992 and Rogers et al. 1994) may be operative.
Oxygen concentrations in waters of the main trunk of the Ogeechee system were generally lower in 1994 (Figure 7) than during 1993 (see Rogers et al. 1994). Higher river discharge carrying

SUMMER BOTTOM TEMPERATURES N THE OGEECHEE R VER, GEORG
33
1993 MEAN VALUES
129 1994 MEAN VALUES
RIVER KILOMETER
Figure 2. Summer bottom temperatures in the Ogeechee River, Georgia. Traces are mean values by river kilometer for July through September 1993, and mid-May through September 1994. For reference, the seawardmost traces begin where the Ogeechee River intersects Florida Passage (Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway), Fort McAllister is located at approximately river kilometer 29, Interstate Highway 95 at approximately river kilometer 55, and the beginning of "The Narrows" at approximately river kilometer 65. River kilometers in the Ogeechee River are referenced to the beachline between Wassaw and Ossabaw islands.

OGEECHEE R

SCHARGE,

LATE SPR NG AND SUMMER, 1993 AND 1994

94 TOTAL = 772 MILLION CUBIC METERS

93 TOTAL = 276 MILLION CUBIC METERS

MAY

JUN

4UL

AUG

SEP

Figure 3. Discharge of the Ogeechee River system, Georgia during the periods May through September, 1993 and 1994. Traces are of mean monthly values. Summations are total discharge volumes.

NAL BOTTOM SAL

PROF

OGEECHEE R VER, GEORG

INDIVIDUAL DATES ARE 1994, UPRIVER VALUES ARE 1993 MEANS

Figure 4. Longitudinal salinity profiles in the Ogeechee River, Georgia during the summer months of 1993 and 1994. Traces are bottom salinity for individual (dated) "runs" up the river
in 1994, and for average conditions during July through September 1993. Key geographic katures and benchmarks are outined in the caption fi,r 1:igur-e 7.

BOTTOM SAL TY AND AVERAGE CATCH RATES OF
SHORTNOSE STURGEON N THE OGEECHEE R A, SUMMER 1993 V. SUMMER 1994
CATCH M T E S
Figure 5. Bottom salinity and average catch rates of shortnose sturgeon in the Ogeechee River, Georgia, summer 1993 and 1094. Salinity data are identical to those described in 1;igut-e 4. Catch data are fish per standardized fishing unit calculated as described in the text. Key geographic features and benchmarks are outlined in the caption for Figure 2.

BOTTOM SAL
C STURGEON N THE OGEECHEE R VER, GEORG
SUMMER 1993 V. SUMMER 1994
Figure 6. Bottom salinity and average catch rates of Atlantic sturgeon in the Ogeechee River, Georgia, summer 1993 and 1994. Salinity data are identical to those described in Figures 4 and 5. Catch data are fish per standardized fishing unit calculated as described in the text. Key geographic features and benchmarks are outlined in the caption for Figure 2.

BO'mOM D SSOlJJED

N THE OGEECHEE R
G SUMMER 1994

2'

1

16.1 22.5 29 35.4 41.6 46.7 53.1 59.5 65.2 70

RIVER KILOMmER

Figure 7. Rotton1 dissolved oxygen in the Ogeechee Kivcr. Cieorgia on foc~roccasions during t h ~ summer of 1994. Traces are individual "runs" for the dates noted on the plot. Key geographic features and benchmarks are outlined in the caption of Figure 2.

more dissolved nutrients and particulates likely generated this condition. In contrast, oxygen concentrations in the Canoochee (Figure 8) were slightly higher than those observed on two occassions during the previous year; however, levels in neither portion of the system were below levels known to be lethal to sturgeons (see discussions in Flournoy et al. 1992; Rogers and Weber 1994, 1995; Rogers et al. 1994), nor indeed were there many observations of concentrations <4.0mg/l (Figure 7). Levels below 4mg/l observed on August 2 downstream of the freshlsalt water interface may have influenced the distributional patterns of sturgeons.
An adjusted Petersen (single-census) estimate (see Ricker 1975) of the number of shortnose sturgeon in the Ogeechee estuary during 1994, based on marked fish released during 1993, yielded 216 fish with a 95% confidence interval of 102 to 498 fish. The standard deviation of the point estimate is 74. A similarly obtained estimate for Atlantic sturgeon is likely artificially high due to a high probability that emigration occurred during the intervening period (see discussion in Rogers et al. 1994). That point estimate is 298 fish with a 95 % confidence interval of 133 to 744, and a standard deviation of 117.
Low abundances, size distributions skewed toward older juveniles and adults, and the Ogeechee basin's history of deteriorating water quality continue to support a hypothesis of compromised early and juvenile life-history functions for Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the Ogeechee system. Additionally, at least three (7%) of the 44 adult-sized shortnose sturgeon captured, marked and released in the Ogeechee system during the period July 1993 through June 1995 have been captured in commercial shad fishing gear, a value consistent with results published for the wider south Atlantic region (Collins et al. In Press). A combination of decreased habitat function and limited adult stock size may be throttling production of young sturgeons. Based on a very simple life-history model wherein shortnose sturgeon mature at 5 years (southern waters), have a 20 year life span (again, southern waters), yielding an approximate 16 year reproductive history during which they are active every two to four years only (four to eight spawning runs), and assuming a six to 10% vulnerability to capture by shad gear during spawning runs only, and a 10% probability of mortality from encounter with the gear (see Collins et al. In Press), there is an estimated 4-8% chance that a shortnose sturgeon will die of encounter with shad gear during its life span. These calculations do not account for post-release mortality for encounters with shad gear during non-reproductive behaviors. Bycatch rates for Atlantic sturgeon are similar (Collins et al. In Press), but are effective almost exclusively on subadult fish. It is not clear to what degree bycatch and compromise of habitat function are interacting to produce depressed stock conditions, or if our hypotheses concerning compromise of habitat function are operative. It is clear that one or more factors are operating to depress shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon numbers in the Ogeechee system. Commercial shad fishing, particularly with untended gear, should be closely examined for further restriction given that substantial mortality occurs when sturgeons encounter the gear.

BOmOM D SSOLVED 0

N THE CANOOCHEE R

BRANCH OF THE OGEECHEE R VER SYSTEM, GEOR

NG LATE SUMMER 1994

7

0

"1.6

3.2

CANOOCHEE RIVER KILOMETER

Figure 8. Bottom dissolved oxygen in the Canoochee River arm of the Ogeechee River, Georgia on two occasions during the summer of 1994. Traces are individual "runs" for the dates noted on the plot. 'I'he co~itluenceof the Cluioochee a i d Ogeechee rivers, just upstream 0 1 1 the Ogeechee River from Interstate Highway 95, is at river kilometer 0.

One hundred seventeen hours and twelve minutes of trammel-net soak time was expended in the St. Marys River. Of the standardized total of 1,487.33 sfu's of effort, 90% was expended in the randomized design (Strn rkm 24 to 63), with the relnainder targeted for both sturgeon species, primarily upstream of the core study area. No sturgeon of either species were collected.
Similar effort, randomly distributed in comparable habitats (temperaturelsalinityldepth hyperspace) of the Ogeechee system (averaged over 1993, 1994, and 1995 data collected to date), would (statistically)generate collections of 12 Atlantic and 19 shortnose sturgeon. Similar total effort as expended in the St. Marys River, averaged for the 1993-95 period in the Ogeechee River, without regard to season, would generate collections of nine Atlantic and eight shortnose sturgeon. Total effort of similar magnitude to that expended in the St. Marys River, deployed in the Altamaha River and averaged over the period 1986 to 1993 (see Rogers et al. 1994 and references cited therein), would generate collections of 88 Atlantic and 40 shortnose sturgeon (no randomized designs have ever been employed in the Altamaha system).
Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the surface waters of the St. Marys River system were
frequently <3.0mgll from Stm rkm 34 to 68 and consistently below 3.0mgll from Stm rkm 52
to 58 (Figure 9) during the summer of 1994. Areas where bottom concentrations of dissolved oxygen were depressed below 3.0mgll were more widespread, stretching from Stm rkrn 34 to 65 for much of the summer and from Stm rkm 47 to 57 for the entire summer of 1994 (Figure 10). These conditions, which are lethal to young sturgeons (see original data in Smith et al. 1993, and discussions in Rogers et al. 1994), appear to be of recent origin (Figure 9) and warrant further investigation, especially with regard to compliance with water quality standards and habitat suitability for endangered shortnose sturgeon and other aquatic resources.
Some question the historical abundance of sturgeon sufficient to support a commercial fishery in the St. Marys system. Records of commercial landings of "sturgeons" stretch back to the turn of the century, and records of landings of Atlantic sturgeon have been reported from the river as recently as 1991 (Rogers et al. 1994). Additionally, Halen (1884) recommended that fishing operations to procure brood stock for shad culture should employ large-mesh gill nets upstream and downstream to shield the shad gear from destruction by abundant sturgeon. Furthermore, preliminary sampling (74 hours 20 minutes with the trammel net gear) in the nearby Satilla River has produced two Atlantic sturgeon specimens although no shortnose. The Satilla also exhibited
periods of depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations of < 3.0rngll during summer months prior
to 1995 (Marshall Gaddis, GA EPD, personal communication), and on eight occasions during the summer of 1995 (Rogers and Weber, unpublished data). Concurrently, concentrations <4.0mg/l were recorded in the Satilla on 83 occasions during May, June, and July of 1995 (unpublished data). Interestingly, there have been no commercial quantities of shad landed from either the St. Marys or Satilla rivers since the late 1980s. Young of the year shad move through the estuary to oceanic waters during mid-summer to autumn. Conditions such as those recorded in the St. Marys River during the summer of 1994 could constitute a block to such movements. As previously noted herein, and more convincingly by Flournoy et al. (1992), Rogers and Weber (1994), and Rogers et al. (1994), shortnose sturgeon are more vulnerable to extremes in low

FIVE LONGITUDINAL PROFILES OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN SURFACE
WATERS OF THE ST.MARYS RIVER, GEORGIA, EARLY JULY TO
MID-SEPTEMBER, 1994,AND HISTORICAL SUMMER RANGES
7

? 6
F
v
z
(3
G
0
0
W 3 4
0acn
E3

2

23 27.4 33.8 40.2 46.7 53.1 59.5 67.6 80.4

96.5

RIVER KILOMWER

Figure 9. Five longitudinal profiles of dissolved oxygen in surface waters of the St. Marys River, Georgia, early July to mid-Septem, -r 1994, plus ranges of dissolved oxygen measurements in surface waters from May through Sek'ember, 1986 through 1990, at the Interstate Highway 95 bridge (light shaded oval) as measured by personnel from the St. Johns River Water Management
D), Florida, and ranges of dissolved oxygen measurements in surface waters from May through September 1989, at the U. S. Highway 17 bridge and three other upstream locations (fish camps or boat ramps) as measured by personnel from the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources office in Waycross, Georgia. Key geographic locations are noted on the plot. In the St. Marys River, river kilometers are measured from the beachline between Cumberland Island, Georgia and Amelia Island, Florida, thence up the dredged submarine channel to the confluence of the St. Marys River and Cumberland Sound, thence up the river.

FlVE LONGITUDINAL PROFILES OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN BOTTOM
WATERS OF THE ST.MARYS RIVER, GEORGIA, EARLY JULY TO
MID-SEPTEMBER, 1994
'7

2 23 27.4 33.8 40.2 46.7 53.1 59.5 67.6 80.4
RIVER KILOMETER

96.5

Figure 10. Five longitudinal profiles of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters of the St. Marys River, Georgia, early July to mid-September 1994. Key geographic locations are noted on the
plot, and benchmarks are as described in the caption for Figure 9.

dissolved oxygen concentration and high temperatures. During 1995, 15 hours and five minutes of additional soak time with the trammel net gear also failed to produce a single sturgeon of either species. It should also be noted that throughout sampling in 1994 and 1995, very few other organisms (gars, crabs, catfish, centrarchids, and the like) were collected in the St. Marys system, very much unlike samples taken in the Altamaha, Ogeechee, and Satilla river estuaries.
Others maintain that conditions such as those observed in the St. Marys River estuary during the summer of 1994 are "natural" for highly acid, humic-substance-laden rivers in subtropical and tropical landscapes. However, the water chemistry of the Canowhee River arm of the Ogeechee River system is very similar to that of the St. Marys, and its levels of dissolved oxygen are significantly higher than those in the St. Marys (see Rogers and Weber 1994; Rogers et al. 1994; and Figures 8, 9, and 10). Not surprisingly, both Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon have been shown to occur in the lower Canoochee. However, the most convincing argument for deteriorated conditions in the St. Marys system is that conditions in the zone where we noted the most depressed dissolved oxygen observations were generally greater than 4.0mg/l as recently as 1989 (see Figure 9). Records from a GDNR water quality monitoring station at Folkston corroborate upriver levels of dissolved oxygen, but this station was not positioned to detect the problems noted in this study. This argues for a specific study of the St. Marys system to model its oxygen dynamics, one which explicitly incorporates the peculiar flow dynamics of the system.
There are no point sources in the St. Marys system situated where they would arouse suspicion as direct causes for the observed conditions in the river. KBN (1993) noted that the conditions in the Little St. Marys River have been deteriorated by several small point sources. The confluence of the St. Marys and Little St. Marys rivers is at Stm rkm 42, near the center of the area of depressed levels of dissolved oxygen. It is possible that given the very limited discharge rates in the St. Marys River, allowing for a pronounced "ponding" effect wherein tidal influence extends nearly to Folkston, Georgia (circa Stm rkrn loo), even slightly elevated inputs of oxygen-demanding materials may depress levels of dissolved oxygen in the fresh tidal zone, inconsistent with the way in which such factors "normally" interact.
Research and Management Recommendations (1) Multi-variate tolerance triails and su ertime biotelemetry within Georgia estuarine
systems for r s h <60cm I%. The complex interactions of salinity, dissolved oxygen, and
temperature would be elucidated with a more comprehensive sampling program. Information could lead to more specific management recommendations concerning water quality, aquifer withdrawals, and waterway dredging. "River system" should be one of the empirical strata specified in experimental design as should degree of habitat contamination and body burdens of metals, organochlorines, dioxins, and other constituents. Utilizing several river systems will insure that results are sufficiently robust to be of use to managers. This recommendation reiterates that forwarded by Rogers et al. (1994).
(2) Additional sampling of fish of known natality to establish "genetic libraries" (reference collections) coupled with sampling of shelf concentrations in the South Atlantic, and

(2) Additional sanlpling of fish of known natality to establish "gelletic libraries" (reference collections) cotlpled with sampling of shelf concentratiol~sin the South Atlantic, and additional sampling of shelf concentratio~~insthe mid-Atlalltic. If coupled with conventional and biotelemetric tagging of fish in shelf aggregations, quantitative work on bycatch ratesland mortalities in local and remote fisheries, plus additional quantification of the genetics of catch composition in mid-Atlantic shelf fisheries, the details of sub-adult movements as well as stock structuring would be revealed. Such work would confirm or reject the tentative conclusions regarding the biology of larger juveniles presented in this report, and the success of various management strategies throughout the range of the animal could be more accurately and precisely predicted. Indeed, success of any single state's management strategy very likely depends upon the rates of mortality on large juveniles remote from natal streams anywhere from several dozen to many hundred kilometers. This recommendation is identical to that fonvarded by Rogers et al. (1994).
(3) Continue fshery-dependent catch monitoring for age and sex structuring; establish rshery-independent sampling for same in South Carolina ( ediately) and/or Georgia (1999) to measure same parameters. Only with long-term sampling will the success or failure of the several stock management strategies be properly documented. Questions concerning sex composition and year-class strength can also be best approached via long-term catch monitoring and/or fishery-independent work. This recommendation is identical to that fonuarded by Rogers et al. (1994).
(4) Initiate a program to identify and map any potential sources of thermal buffering in the river system already studied. Once potential sites are identified, conduct detailed surveys of utilization by Atlantic sturgeons. This work may be the most critical need identified to date, presenting the most difficult technical problems, and the most complex management options. Work should incorporate a comparative approach among river systems, focusing initially on the Altamaha and Savannah rivers. This recommendation is identical to that forwarded by Rogers et al. (1994).
(5) Focus resources on elucidation of upstream spawning and utilization of other habitats by Atlantic sturgeon in the Savannah, Altamaha, and Ogeechee rivers. Coupled with recommendations (3) and (4), producing a source of animals for telemetry and maps of artesian inputs, respectively, this work is critical to protecting habitat essential for sturgeon production. Work should be initiated no later than 1999. This re~ommendationis identical to that forwarded by Roger et al. (1994).
(6) Additional permitted withdrawals to aquifers underlying estuarine zones serving as nursery grounds for Atlantic sturgeon should be minimized until more is understood concerning their relationship to nursery function. Withdrawals currently permitted should be decreased to the degree practicable. It is possible that the continued existence of certain streams' stocks have already been compromised.

(7) Evaluate the impacts of substantial alteratiol~sof estuarine bottom topography attributable to channelization, and channellmainteneace dredging on sturgeon populations. Estuarine bottom topography is critical to salinity structure through the influence of tides and river discharges. Alterations of salinity regimes and estuarine substrates can adversely impact the function of habitats known to be essential to various life history stages of sturgeons.
(8) Work with f s h e m e n to curtail bycatch mortality of sturgeons in tended and untended shad net fisheries through gear technology, area or season closures. There is evidence that mortality of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeons in shad gear occurs annually. The degree to which recovery goals are compromised is uncertain. Highly stressed stocks which are vulnerable to shad fishing should be protected. Stocks in the Altamaha are in much better condition than in the other four rivers, and should be sustained through minimizing bycatch.
(9) Re-evaluate current management practices allowing gillnet fisheries on the Savannah, Ogeechee, Satilla, and St. Marys rivers. Stocks appear to be severely depressed and/or may already be extirpated, although effort data are insufficient to determine this. Problems in the Savannah, Ogeechee, Satilla, and St. Marys rivers may be related to compromise of juvenile habitat functions. In the Altamaha, sturgeon habitat appears to be in good to excellent condition (save for the unknown status of the spawning grounds, see item five), and proximal goals for management of the stock are being met in the commercial fishery. Closure of the Altamaha system would jeopardize the status of the only "experiment" in management of an open fishery south of Cape Hatteras, but would be risk-adverse. Should resources for stock monitoring be unavailable in 1999 or 2000, the Department should consider closing the fishery during or prior to that time. Alternatively, a closure could be effected during 1996, and the fishery could be reopened in 1999 or 2000 under rules similar to those currently in effect, with documentation of sex and size structure used to generate an estimate of recovery over a period of three or more years (1999-2001). In the other four rivers habitat-related problems should be thoroughly investigated and identified and efforts initiated to restore habitat function essential to Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon.
(10) Initiate field and modeling efforts in the St. Marys and Satilla river system to determine the sources and dynamics of depressed levels of dissolved oxygen in the fresh tidal zone. Evidence is strong that observed conditions are anthropogenic in nature, but it is entirely unclear what sources of additional inputs and in what volumes and delivery rates are generating observed conditions. Of extreme impo ce is to examine the relative contributions of point- and nonpoint-source constituents to BOD loadings. Substantial data on nutrient loadings and physical parameters already exist to support such an effort.

Chris Carey, Craig Crumbley, Dominic Guadagnoli, Steve Pete, Ximena Prudencio, Chet

Rountree, Susan Taylor, Lynn Wilson, and Julie Yawn (GDNR) labored in the Ogeechee, St.

Marys, and Satilla rivers to collect the data presented in this report. Bert Deener ( G D M ) and

John Hendrickson (STJRWMD) provided stipplemental physicwhemical data from the St. Marys

River. River discharge data were provided on floppy and over the telephone by Roger

McFarlane and Tim Stamey of the Water Resources Division, United States Geologic Survey,

Department of Interior, Atlanta, Georgia. Commercial fishermen Kenneth Talley and D

Gale, and commercial processors Howell Boone and Charlie Russo, Jr. are thanked for

cooperating fully in our data collection efforts. Carl Hall and the staff at the Richmond Hill

Fish Hatchery (GDNR) provided logistical support and lodging for the Ogeechee study. Ideas

addressing sturgeon life history strategies and requirements were developed within an

environment including several conversations with Frank Chapman (University of Florida), Mark

Collins (SCDNR), Jim Clugston (NBS), Bill Dovel, Ann Jennings (NBS), Cecil Jennings (NBS),

Boyd Kynard (NBS), Mary Moser (University of North Carolina, Wilimington), Ted Smith

(SCDNR), John Waldman (Hudson River Foundation), and Ike Wirgin (University of New

York). They are not responsibl

Th manuscript was

improved by comments from

"h%ait"io(nal financial

support for the Ogeechee study came from the United states Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia

through the Nature Conservancy of Georgia for a concurrent study on shortnose sturgeon. Helen

Walker assisted with collating and photocopying the manuscript.

LITERATURE CITED
ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission). 1990. Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sturgeon. Fisheries Management Report 17. 73p. Washington, D. C.
Brennan, J. S. and G. M. Cailliet. 1989. Comparative age-determination techniques for white sturgeon in California. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 118: 296-310. Atlantic Sturgeon. Fisheries Management Report 17. 73 p. Washington, D. C.
Collins, M. R., S. G. Rogers, and T. I. J. Smith. In Press. Bycatch of sturgeons along the southern Atlantic coast of the U. S. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
Cuerrier, J. P. 1951. The use of pectoral fin rays for determining age of sturgeon and other species of fish. Canadian Fish Culturist 11: 10-18. -
Floumoy , P. H., S. G. Rogers, and P. S. Crawford. 1992. Restoration of shortnose sturgeon in the Altamaha River, Georgia. Final Report to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service project number AFS-2, Segments One and Two. Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA.
Hamlen, Wm. 1884. Reconnaissance of Florida rivers with a view to shad hatching. Bull. U.S. Fish Comm. IV (14): 206-208
KBN (KBN Engineering and Applied Sciences, Inc.). 1993. A wetland management strategy for the St. Marys River basin. Prepared for the St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, FL. KBN Engineering and Applied Sciences, Inc., 1034 57th Street, Gainesville, FL 32605.
Moser, M. L. and S. W. Ross. 1993. Distribution and movements of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) and other anadromous fishes of the lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina. Final Report to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, 115 p.
Ricker, W.E. 1975. Computation and interpretation of biological statistics of fish populations. Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Marine Service, Ottawa, Canada, 382 pp.
Rogers, S. G., T. E. Targett, and S. B. Van Sant. 1984. Fish-nursery use in Georgia salt-marsh estuaries: the influence of springtime freshwater conditions. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 113: 595-606.
Rogers, S. G., P. H. Flournoy, and W. Weber. 1994. Status and restoration of Atlantic sturgeon in Georgia. Final Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service project number NA16FA009801, -02, -03 (February 1, 1991 - March 31, 1994). Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA.

Rogers, S. G. and W. Weber. 1994. Occurrence of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirosrrum) in the Ogeechee-Canoochee river system, Georgia during the summer of 1993. Final Report to the Nature Conservancy of Georgia for the United States Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia, 13 p., Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA
Rogers, S. 6. and W. Weber. 1995. Movements of shortnose sturgeon in the Altamaha River, Georgia. Contribution Series Number 57, Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA. 78p.
Smith, T. I. J., M. R. Collins, and E. Kennedy. 1993. Identification of critical habitat requirements of shortnose sturgeon in South Carolina. Final Report to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Project AFS-17, 41 p. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, SC
SNSRT (Shortnose Sturgeon Recovery Team). Draft. Recovery plan for the shortnose sturgeon
(Acipenser brevirostrurn). Prepared for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Nancy Haley ,
Chairperson.
Torrey-Ansley, E. 1989. Assessment and biotelemetry studies of Atlantic sturgeon in Georgia. Final Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service Project AFC-29 (NA88WC-D-AF108), 77p., Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA
Torrey-Ansley, E. 1990. Assessment and biotelernetry studies of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) in Georgia. Annual Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service Project AFC29 (NA89WC-D-AF122), 39 p., Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA
Windom, H. L. and K. C. Beck. 1971. Diurnal variations in the chemical characteristics of the Ogeechee estuary in Georgia. Bulletin of the Georgia Academy of Science 29: 65-75.
Woodward, E. T. 1991. Assessment and biotelemetry studies of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) in Georgia. Annual Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service Project AFC29-5 (NA90AA-D-AN200), 60 p., Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA

TABLE 1.

GEORGIA STURGEON LANDINGS BY WATER O F -VEST

GEARS AND S E X E S AGGREGATE

S P E C I E S AGGREGATE PRIOR TO 1985

DATA ARE ROUND KILOGRAMS (WATER, TOTAL VOLUME. AM) AVERAGE WEIGHT COLUMNS) , I N D I V I D U A L S ( F I S H ) ,
. AKD U. S DOLLARS (LAST F I V E C O L W S )

BLANK = DATA UNAVAILABLE AND NOT INCLUDED I N AVERAGES OR S

- - UPDATED 08/03/95

SGR

UNKNOfJN TOTAL TOTAL AVERAGE NOMINAL

SEASON SAVANNAH OGEECHEE ALT

S A T I L L A S T . W Y S /OCEAN VOLUME F I S H k g / F I S H

VaLUE

NOMINAL ADJUSTED ADJUSTED ADJUSTES

$/kg

VALUE

$/kg

$/FISH

DT%==f9=PZPa==LlftOLP=~PPx==P*e==IZ==P=9=~~==*9~~P*~*~~~~~~=~~~~==~=~=~~~=~~*~~=~*=~Q*=

1962

0

4 0 9

409

0

0

0

8 18

1963

0

0

1,227

0

0

0 1,227

1964

136

9 1

636

0

0

0

864

196 5

227

0

909

0

0

91 1,227

1966

4 5

4 5

500

0

0

0

5 9 1

1967

0

9 1

0

0

0

227

318

196 8

136

0

9 1

0

0

0

227

1969

364

4 5

4 5

0

0

45

500

1970

727

136

4 0 9

0

0

364 1,636

1971

4 5

409

909

0

0

364 1,727

1972 1,971 1,480

5 3

0

0

0 3,505

1973

552

554

5 1

0

0

0 1,157

$1,764.26 561.97

$0.50 $1,220.72 0.49 1,265.70

$1.20 1.09

1974

149

422

9 1

0

0

198

860

485.81 0.56

985.42 1.15

1975

4 8

261

4 5 9

r)

0

151

919

1976

3 54

195

0

C

0

82

631

752.15 529.96

0.82 0.84

1,398.05 931.39

1.52 1.48

1977

870

387

55

0

0

0 1,312

1,184.32 0.90 1,954.32 1.49

1978

441 4,232

263

0

0

0 4,936

2,785.30

0.56 4,271.93

0.87

1979

226 1,091

157

0

0

0 1,474

1,496.84

1.02 2,061.76

1.40

1980 1,965 3,636

783

0

0

80 6,464

5,487.70

0.85 6,659.83

1.03

1981 1,048 5,952 3,141

0

0

64 10,205

16,435.74

1.61 18,081.12

1.77

1982

610 1,455 10,687

0

0

31 12,783

19,633.06

1.51 20,345.14

1.59

1983

529 1,235 2,758

0

4 9

0 4,571

7,384.59

1.62 7,414.25

1.62

1984

510

286 2,199

319

0

1985

0

522 2,765 2,965 2,214

0 3,314 17 8,483

18,978.59

5.73 18,266.21

5.51

67

126.6 48,581.55

5.73 45,150.14

5.32 $673.88

1986

272

671 2,504

4 2 8

0

181 4,056

45

90.1 33,770.48

8.33 30,812.48

7.60 684.72

1987

118

797 1,467

11 0

0

382 2,875

49

58.7 17,739.05

6.17 15,615.36 5.43 318.68

1988

154

360 1,680

887

1989

403

708 1,000

484

0

272 3,352

44

76.2 27,195.28 8.11 23,505.00 7.01 534.21

0

29 2,625

52

50.5 20,484.14 7.80 16,971.12 6.47 326.37

1990

306

100

976

219

8 9

190 1,880

20

94.0 19,766.31 10.51 15,902.10 8.46 795.10

19 91 1992 1993 1994

0

0

511

0

24 1

4 97

0

5 9

546

0

0

5 6

84

11 0

0

209

0

0

0

0

2 4

72 9

3 5

982

0

605

2 3

7 9

8

91.1 12,680.75 17.39 9,906.84 13.59 1,238.35

9

109.1 14,114.86 14.37 10,709.30 10.90 1,189.92

0

75.6 7,653.55 12.65 5,635.90 9.32 704.49

1

79.1

201.41

2.55

142.64 1.80 142.64

1995

0

0

447

0

0

0

447

5

89.4 6,256.00 14.00 4,218.48 9.44 843.70

=t3=x==2==========-P====Pa*e=a===a=====-===~Q=~===~~~~~~*~~~~~

62-95 AVG

359

761 1,126

162

7 9

84 2,570

2 8

85.5 $11,913.49 $5.19 $11,101.05 $4 .46 $677.46

62-80 AVG

435

710

371

0

0

84 1,600

1,672.03 0.73 2,638.79 1.25

81-83 AVG

729 2,881 5,528

0

16

32 9,186

14,484.46 1.59 15,280.17 1.66

84-89 AVG

243

557 1,936

866

369

147 4,117

51

80.4 27,791.52 6.98 25,053.38 6.22 507.57

90-95 AVG

5 1

6 7

505

5 0

6 8

4 5

787

9

89.7 LO,112.15 11.91 7,752 .S4 8.92 8i9 3 3

1~p~Z~IPs=~===X====P===~-P=*===aP=================t=~~=a~~s~~=~~~~

NOTES:

-LANDINGS C M U E D BY M F S PORT AGENT P R I O R TO 1980, BY GDNR PORT AGENTS FROM 1980 TO 1984,
AXTf) CENSUSED BY GDNR ANWROMOUS S T A F F FROM 1985 - P R E S E m

-MINIMUM S I Z E , BAG L I M I T , AND SHORTENED SEASON IMPOSED E F F E C T I V E 1990 SEASON

-DATA INCLUDE SHORTNOSE STURGEON P R I O R T O 1973, AND M Y INCLUDE SHORThlOSE FROM 1973 T O 1984

'I'ABL,E2 . NUI~IBERS AND GENDERS OF AT TIC STURGEON CAPTURED CONMERCIALLY BY GEAR IN GEORGIA VAL,UES ARE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS XN TARGETTED FISHERY, KNOWN GEARS ONLY UPDATED 08/03/95 - - SGR

DRIFT

SET

TOTAL

SEASON

ES FEMALES UNKNOW

-- -- -- _- -_- -_-_________________________----_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_--_------

1985 .. ..

9

13

1 :

14

28

1 :

23

4 1

2

1986 .. ..

7

12

0 :

9

17

0 :

16

2 9

0

1987 .. ..

9

6

2 :

7

11

8 :

16

17

10

1988 . .

14

6

0 :

5

15

0 :

19

2 1

0

1989 .. ..

10

8

1 :

4

11

5 :

14

19

6

1990 .. ..

0

2

0 :

2

14

0 :

2

16

0

1991 .. ..

0

0

0 :

1

6

0 :

1

6

0

1992 .. ..

0

0

0 :

1

8

0 :

1

8

0

1993 .. ..

0

3

0 :

0

5

0 :

0

8

0

1994 .. ..

0

0

0 :

1

0

0 :

1

0

0

1995 .. ..

0

0

0 :

0

5

0 :

0

5

0

- - - -- -- -- -- _- -_- -_-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- __-_- _ -_-_- ---------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -----------------_- - - - - - - - - - - - - ------ - - - - _ -

85-95 AVG : :

4.5

4.5

0.4 :

4.0

10.9

1.3 :

8.5

15.5

1.6

_ _ _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_-_ _ _ - - - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

85-89 AVG : :

9.8

9.0

0.8 :

7.8

16.4

2.8

90-95 AVG : :

0.0

0.8

0.0 :

0.8

6.3

0.0

-- -_- -_- - -_- -_- - -_- - -_- -_- - -_- - -_- -_- - -_- - _- - -_- - -_- -_- - -_- - -_= -_- -_- - --- --- ----- --- --- --- -_- --- -.--.---.--.-.=-.--.- -.--.--.--.- -.--.--.- =-. .- -.-.-.- -.-.-.- -.-.-.- -.-. .

:

17.6

25.4

3.6

:

0.8

7.2

0.0

- - - - - _ _ _ _ -_ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

85-95 AVG% : :

49

51

27

73

3 5

65

-----......-------- ____________-_-----------------------------------------------------------------------

85-89 AVG% : : 90-95 AVGt : :

52

48

0

100 ,

32

68

12

88

4 1

59

10

90

=================================E===========s==============s==s=s================================

DATA COLLECTION NOTES:

-DATA CENSUSED BY GDNR ANADROMOUS STAFF -GENDER DETERMINATION BASED ON INDIVIDUBL E INATION OF GONADS