Chattanooga Students Make Waves as They Release Endangered Lake Sturgeon into Tennessee River

Chattanooga Students Help Release Endangered Lake Sturgeon

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — What a day it was for about 50 fifth graders from Brown Academy! These enthusiastic young students took a field trip that they won’t soon forget. They gathered at the beautiful Tennessee River, where they rolled up their sleeves to help biologists with an important conservation effort that is close to their hearts.

Getting Hands-On with Conservation

With the expert guidance of scientists from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) and Tennessee Aquarium educators, the students had the unique opportunity to reintroduce around 500 state-endangered Lake Sturgeon into the river, right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. Can you imagine the excitement of seeing those fascinating fish swimming off into their new home?

The lucky juvenile sturgeon—their lengths ranging between four and eight inches—were released into the water at the picturesque Coolidge Park. This is not just a one-time event; these tiny fish are joining an impressive family of over 425,000 Lake Sturgeon that have been raised and released into the Tennessee and Cumberland River watersheds over the past 24 years. The atmosphere was alive with joy and a sense of purpose as the kids got to learn firsthand about wildlife restoration!

A Journey of Restoration

For those who might not know, this release isn’t a new concept. It marks another important chapter in a restoration effort that has been underway since 1998. It’s hard to believe that just 50 years ago, the idea of releasing Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee River would have seemed impossible, as these magnificent creatures had completely disappeared from the area due to overfishing, damming, and poor water quality. How far we’ve come since then!

Fast forward to the late 1990s, when improved river management and better water quality gave scientists the green light to consider bringing back these endangered fish. Thanks to the hard work of the Tennessee Aquarium, which utilized its skills in fish propagation, juvenile sturgeon began to be raised from eggs laid by wild sturgeon in Wisconsin’s Wolf River.

The Road Ahead

Since the first class of raised sturgeon was released into the river in 2000, nearly half a million fish have seen their new life in the waters of Tennessee. However, scientists are still on the lookout for signs of independent reproduction among these reintroduced sturgeon. It’s a long-term project that requires patience and perseverance.

As one of the biologists eloquently stated, “By the time these fifth graders are old enough to enter their careers, we may be seeing Lake Sturgeon successfully re-established in the Tennessee River. That would be a huge achievement for this project after we’ve put in so many years of work toward that goal.” How inspiring is that?

Bringing Awareness to Conservation

This event underscores how important it is for young people to get involved in conservation efforts. It gives them not only a sense of responsibility but also the knowledge that they can make a difference in their community and environment. As they watched their little sturgeon swim away, the students surely felt a mix of pride and hope for the future.

For anyone interested in watching the adult Lake Sturgeon, there’s a live webcam at the Tennessee Aquarium that showcases these beautiful creatures. It’s a neat way to stay connected to this ongoing conservation story; after all, every fish counts, and the journey of restoration continues!