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Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) are a federally listed endangered species native to the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the Gulf of Maine, demographic connectivity among coastal river systems is common, though little is known about the population level consequences of such connectivity. My doctoral research aimed to elucidate such consequences and did so through a combination of field, (ultrasonic telemetry, mark-recapture), laboratory (dorsal scute microchemistry), and theoretical (life-history modeling) techniques.
This research is being continued in the labs of Dr. Gayle Zydlewski and Dr. Michael Kinnison at the University of Maine. Exciting developments are on the horizon as the removal of two mainstem dams on the Penobscot River (Great Works & Veazie dams) has opened up habitat previously unavailable for more than 100 years. Please see their respective websites for updated information! Peer-reviewed publications: (2) Altenritter, M.E., G.B., Zydlewski, M.T. Kinnison, J.D. Zydlewski, and G.S. Wippelhauser. 2018. Understanding the basis of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) partial migration in the Gulf of Maine. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 75:464-473. (1) Altenritter, M.E., M. Kinnison, G. Zydlewski, D. Secor, J. Zydlewski. 2015. Assessing dorsal scute microchemistry for reconstruction of shortnose sturgeon life histories. Environmental Biology of Fishes 98:2321-2335. Manuscripts in-prep. Altenritter, M.E., G.B. Zydlewski, M.T. Kinnison, and J.D. Zydlewski. In Prep. Shortnose sturgeon population viability in the Gulf of Maine. Target Journal: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society Zydlewski Lab Page Kinnison Lab Page University of Maine |