Habitat/Life Cycle

• Atlantic sturgeon are found along the Atlantic coast from Labrador to Florida.
   
• They are primarily a marine species that is found close to shore.
   
• At certain times of the year, they can also be found in bays, estuaries, and large rivers.
   
• Young sturgeon may spend up to four years in the rivers where they were born before migrating to the sea.
   
• In the ocean, adults travel extensively. One sturgeon was found to move 900 miles in one summer.
   
• Atlantic sturgeon can live up to 80 years old but generally live approximately 60 years.
   
• The preferred habitat for larvae consists of rock, cobble, or gravel and is near the spawning habitat. Larvae extend downstream as they grow and attain the ability to endure brackish water.
   
• Male fish most likely leave the estuary first, probably around one year old, and any fish remaining for more than five years are predominantly females.
   
• In the wintertime when the temperature of the water drops, juveniles that have not started migrating yet, will congregate in a deep-water habitat in the estuary. Most juveniles are found over clay, sand, and silt substrates.