Green Sturgeon Physical Habitat Use in the Coastal Pacific Ocean
2011

Green Sturgeon Habitat Use in the Coastal Pacific Ocean

Sample size: 37 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): David D. Huff, Steven T. Lindley, Polly S. Rankin, Ethan A. Mora

Primary Institution: National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Hypothesis

What are the important habitat components for green sturgeon in marine environments?

Conclusion

Green sturgeon prefer complex seafloor habitats with high relief and boulders, spending more time in these areas.

Supporting Evidence

  • Green sturgeon were detected at 20 hydrophones over 163 detection-days.
  • Sturgeon spent more time in areas with high seafloor complexity.
  • The study identified important habitat components for green sturgeon using statistical models.

Takeaway

Green sturgeon like to hang out in areas with lots of rocks and bumps on the ocean floor because it helps them find food and stay safe from predators.

Methodology

The study used acoustic tagging and statistical modeling to analyze habitat use by green sturgeon in the coastal Pacific Ocean.

Potential Biases

Potential spatial bias in habitat use due to the limited geographic scale of the study.

Limitations

The study only represents a portion of the green sturgeon range and lacks data from late winter to early spring.

Participant Demographics

The study involved 37 acoustically tagged adult green sturgeon captured from various locations along the West Coast.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.004

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0025156

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