Sturgeon Aquaculture Program

stugeon pic

Goal

Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sturgeon Commercial Demonstration project has the following goals:

To develop, test, and demonstrate the commercial applicability of innovative aquaculture technologies and to protect fishery resources.
To develop innovative husbandry and sturgeon caviar processing techniques that will help Florida become one of the world centers of sturgeon and caviar production.
To help promote the development of a commercial aquaculture industry in the state of Florida.
To produce and market sturgeon products that will demonstrate the economic feasibility of production technologies, support research and demonstration projects costs, and to support Mote’s aquaculture research efforts.

To produce and market sturgeon products that will demonstrate the economic feasibility of production technologies, support Mote’s sturgeon project costs, and support other Mote aquaculture research efforts.
To disseminate new technologies through the demonstration of pilot- and commercial-scale projects.

Species

Mote has been culturing several species of sturgeon since 1998. Our original intent was to culture indigenous species (i.e., native species that naturally occur along Florida’s coasts) for stock enhancement and food production. However, federal authorities will not allow the culture of these native species, which are listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Culturing of these native sturgeon would require the temporary removal of several of these fish from the wild on an annual basis in order to obtain eggs and sperm. Even though these “temporarily borrowed” fish would be returned to the wild, the federal authorities felt that this procedure, and the subsequent culture of the progeny, would pose too great a risk to the wild populations of these fish. Unfortunately, the restrictions on production have greatly limited the research and production efforts on Florida’s native sturgeons.

For these reasons, Mote Marine Laboratory shifted our focus to non-indigenous (non-native) sturgeon species. Since 1998, various species of sturgeon endemic to Europe have been imported and investigated as to their suitability for culture in Florida. Currently, fish inventory includes “bester” sturgeon (beluga/sterlet crosses) and Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri). The hybrids began producing meat in 2003 and will begin producing caviar in 2004. The Siberian sturgeon will begin producing meat in 2004 and caviar starting in 2006. In 2006, our Broodstock Development Program will begin producing Siberian sturgeon fry at Mote Aquaculture Park.

It is our intention that this project will demonstrate that sturgeon can be viable aquaculture candidates in Florida. The information from this project will be used by farmers and researchers across the state to enhance the aquaculture industry. It is hoped that work such as this will alleviate pressure on wild Caspian Sea sturgeon stocks, and help fill the current gap of supply versus demand in an ecologically sustainable and responsible manor.

Sturgeon Aquaculture Staff

Program Manager - Jim Michaels
                           email: michaels@mote.org

Senior Biologist/Production Mgr - Heather Hamiln
                           email: hamlin@mote.org

Staff Biologist/Hatchery Mgr. - Constance Beaulaton
                           email: cstb@mote.org

Facilities Manager - Brian Richards
                           email: Brich@mote.org

Processing Manager - Wade Tappan
                           email: wade@mote.org

Project Maintenance Specialist - Travis Hanson
                           email: travis@mote.org

Technician - Randy Shine
                           email: rshine@mote.org

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