University of New England

UNE RESEARCH
By Dick Buhr
Sulikowski’s Saco River Research
Nets Endangered Sturgeon
UNE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MARINE SCIENCES James
Sulikowski, Ph.D., got a surprise when he took a television
reporter out on the Saco River for a story on the research he is
conducting on Atlantic sturgeon as part of program called the
Saco River Sturgeon Project.
With the camera rolling, Dr. Sulikowski and his students pulled
up a short-nosed sturgeon, an endangered species, the first on
record found in the Saco River. "It's crazy," said Sulikowski. "
Nobody had any idea that we would catch a shortnose."
While the Atlantic sturgeon had seemingly disappeared
for about 100 years, its more rare cousin had
apparently never been seen in the Saco. At least not
until researchers pulled one up June 16, 2009.
The Saco River Sturgeon Project is funded
by the NOAA Species of Concern Conservation
Program. The research will continue
through December 2009. The findings from
Sulikowski’s research will provide state and
federal agencies with important biological
information about the Atlantic sturgeon’s life
history. Seven of his students are working on
the project.
Recent sampling of the Saco River by
Sulikowski and his students indicates that
Atlantic sturgeon are now using the Saco
River, but the extent is unknown. Acoustic receivers
as well as gill nets have been placed
within the river to capture data. Dell Computer
has donated computers for the project.
In the United States, Atlantic sturgeon
are divided into five distinct population segments
(DPSs): Gulf of Maine, New York Bight,
Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic.
Despite being intensely studied since the
1970s, many important aspects of Atlantic
sturgeon life history are still unknown for
many of the DPSs.
The lack of biological information has
placed Atlantic sturgeon populations at risk
of becoming endangered in two of the DPS
units. This has led to their listing as a species
of concern throughout their U.S. range.
In the past, the Saco River was overlooked
as a possible habitat to support Atlantic
sturgeon, especially since past research
failed to document the existence of this
species within this watershed.
Sulikowski’s research offers hope for the
future of this species.
Prof. James Sulikowski (l) and student
Devin Flawd (r) with an Atlantic sturgeon.
16 UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND