Sturgeon Lab Technician

Over the past century, White Sturgeon populations throughout their range have been severely affected by over-fishing, habitat loss, and human competition for food such as salmon and eulachon. Their future is also threatened by declining water quality as human populations increase and land uses intensify in the Sacramento, Columbia, and Fraser River basins, the main watersheds where White Sturgeon occur. The white sturgeon has been a protected species in the Fraser River for a few decades now, however the population levels are still not recovred due to very long lifespan of these fish. An old sturgeon could be as much as 100 years old. Thus, it is importnat to determine what areas this fish spemd their time , its migration pattern and growth rates. Otolith (a bone located in teh fish ear) store a record of fish life from the day it was born. Analysis of otolith can reveal a useful infor that can help to protect these endangered fish.