Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Mississippi
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Mississippi Project

Movements and habitat use of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon in the lower Mississippi River

February 2007 - December 2011

Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • Science Support Partnership
  • USFWS Region 4
Surgically implanting a sonic tag into this large pallid sturgeon will allow us to monitor its movement and habitat use for 4 years.

Identify pallid and shovelnose sturgeon spawning areas and cues. Determine pallid and shovelnose sturgeon habitat use in the lower Mississippi River, including determining areas of optimal habitat that should be protected. Determine pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon movements into tributaries and among sub-basins. Determine possible source and sink areas for pallid sturgeon.

Technical Publications Publication Date
Herrala, J.R., and H.L. Schramm, Jr. 2010. Movement and Habitat Use of Pallid Sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Report for 2009. Annual report submitted to Louisiana Hydroelectric, Vidalia, Louisiana. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. March 2010
Schramm, H.L., and W.O. Dunn, III. 2009. Movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Annual report submitted to Louisiana Hydroelectric, Vidalia, Louisiana. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. January 2009
Schramm, H.L., Jr., and N.M. Kuntz. 2010. Pallid sturgeon habitat use and movement in the lower Mississippi River 2009-2010. Annual report submitted to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. May 2010
Schramm, H.L., Jr., and P. Mirick. 2009. Pallid sturgeon habitat use and movement in the lower Mississippi River. Annual report submitted to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. February 2009
Schramm, H.L., Jr., and T.O. Dunn, III. 2008. Summer movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Annual report submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jackson, MS. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. February 2008
Schramm, H.L., Jr., and T.O. Dunn, III. 2008. Summer movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Annual report submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jackson, MS. Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Mississippi State, Mississippi. February 2008
Presentations Presentation Date
Dunn, T., P. Hartfield, and H. L. Schramm. 2008. Summer movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Inaugural Southeastern Natural Resources Graduate Student Symposium, 1-2 March, Starkville, Mississippi. March 2008
Dunn, T., P. Hartfield, and H. Schramm. 2008. Movement of pallid sturgeon in the Atchafalaya River system, Louisiana. Arkansas and Mississippi Chapters, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, 20-22 February, Tunica, Mississippi. February 2008
Dunn, W. O., and H. L. Schramm. 2008. Movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. Lower Basin Pallid Sturgeon Workgroup Meeting, 2-3 December, Vicksburg, Mississippi. December 2008
Dunn, W. O. and H. L. Schramm. 2009. Movement and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the Old River and the Atchafalaya River. 35th Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, 11-13 February, Biloxi, Mississippi. February 2009
Herrala, J.R., and H.L. Schramm, Jr. 2010. Movements and habitat use of pallid sturgeon in the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, 3-5 February, Vicksburg, Mississippi. February 2010
Kunst, N.M., and H.L. Schramm, Jr. 2010. Variables affecting trawl catch rates of sturgeon in the lower Mississippi River. Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, 3-5 February, Vicksburg, Mississippi. February 2010
Kunst, N.M., and H.L. Schramm, Jr. 2010. Variables affecting trawl catch rates of sturgeon in the lower Mississippi River. Southern Division, American Fisheries Society, 26-28 February, Asheville, North Carolina. February 2010
Mirick, P, P. Hartfield and H. Schramm. 2008. Comparison of trotlines and otter trawls for sampling pallid sturgeon in the Lower Mississippi River. Lower Basin Pallid Sturgeon Work Group Annual Meeting, 2-3 December, Vicksburg, Mississippi. December 2008
Mirick, P., and H.L. Schramm, Jr. 2010. Gear evaluation for the capture of sturgeon in the lower Mississippi River. Southern Division, American Fisheries Society, 26-28 February, Asheville, North Carolina. February 2010
Schramm, H, J. Killgore, P. Hartfield, R. Delaney, and R. Nassar. 2005. Status and management of Mississippi River fisheries. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Mississippi River ecosystem team meeting, 23 August, Stuttgart, Arkansas. August 2005
Theses and Dissertations Publication Date
Mirick, P. 2011. An evaluation of otter trawls and trotlines for catching pallid sturgeon in the lower Mississippi River. Masters thesis, Mississippi State University May 2011