1,500 Sturgeon Released in Maumee River, Lake Erie
- Toledo Zoo and Aquarium hosted the annual Sturgeon Fest last weekend. 1,200 visitors participated in the sturgeon restoration efforts.
- 1,500 baby sturgeon were released into the Maumee River to help historic sturgeon populations recover.
Last Saturday was the annual Sturgeon Fest hosted by the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium. It was a striking scene, with people lining up to collect their six inch sturgeon in tiny buckets.
Scientists are interested in tracking the sturgeons’ growth, survival and locations across the Great Lakes ecosystems. The fish get very big, up to six feet long. This year, a new study estimated that the females may also live up to 400 years, which is more than twice as long as previously thought by scientists. The juvenile fish released this year may not return to the Maumee River for another 15-20 years. But scientists think they may imprint on their home waters, so the program hopes to see them return to this historic spawning ground.