Welcome to Adopt-a-SturgeonSturgeon are a living link to our past, dating back some 120 million years to Jurassic times. They have played a role in the development of our nation, our economy and our coastal ecosystems. In pre-colonial times, they served as an important food source for Native Americans. In the 1800's and early 1900's, sturgeon provided people throughout North America and Europe with their highly prized caviar. Since the 1900’s, Chesapeake Bay sturgeon populations have been decimated. Overharvest, habitat loss and poor water quality have made sturgeon the only resource species near extinction today. These trends need not be destiny. At the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory, a dedicated group of researchers and partners are working together to give the species a fighting chance. Marine scientists are working hand-in-hand with resource managers and local watermen to boost populations of this charismatic animal.
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