Climate Change
Some Shovelnose Sturgeon in Illinois Are Huge and Researchers Are Fishing for Reasons Why
Sturgeon are among the most endangered of fish, but the shovelnose species in the Rock River is thriving. Scientists from Midwest states are studying how to manage them.
Most days, researcher Stefan Tucker, with trawls, trammel nets, trot lines and even electrofishing gear, is on his boat looking for sturgeon in the Rock River. The nearly 300-mile waterway winds through Illinois’ northwest corner, at depths between 15 to 50 feet, flowing and gurgling from Wisconsin down to the Iowa border, where it joins the Mississippi River.
Some Shovelnose Sturgeon in Illinois Are Huge and Researchers Are Fishing for Reasons Why