Movement, Behaviour and Diet of Atlantic Sturgeon Tagged with Acoustic and Archival Tags in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy

Little is known about the movement and behaviour of Atlantic sturgeon in Canadian waters. To address this knowledge gap, in 2010 we deployed 30 uniquely coded acoustic transmitting tags in Atlantic sturgeon from the seasonal mixed stock feeding aggregation in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Canada. Hydroacoustic receivers were placed at strategic locations inside the Minas Basin, and in the Minas Passage which connects the Minas Basin to the rest of the Bay of Fundy. Twenty-eight of thirty tagged sturgeon in 2010 were detected either in the Minas Basin or moving through the Minas Passage. In May of 2011, 15 VR2W (Vemco ltd.) receivers were situated in a VPS (Vemco Positioning System) array at Kingsport Beach. The mudflats of Kingsport are known for frequent visits by Atlantic sturgeon and we propose this is for feeding purposes. The overlapping detection ranges of these receivers will allow for the identification of exact locations over time, so that movement patterns can be estimated and visualized. Through the examination of tagging data (spatial distribution, depth and temperature) as well as stomach analysis using gastric lavage, we will attempt to define critical feeding areas and environmental preferences of Atlantic sturgeon in the Minas Basin. Thus far, 53 additional tags have been deployed in 2011 and the efforts are ongoing. Data collected by the VPS has been downloaded three times since deployment, and currently 6 2010 and 10 2011 tagged sturgeon have been detected within the boundaries of the array.