There is something incredibly hopeful about watching ecologists actively work to reverse the damaging effects of pollution — a vision coming to life along the Maumee River, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center in Oregon, Ohio, as Phys.org reported.
Once abundant in the waters of the Maumee River, lake sturgeon have faced steep population declines since the 1800s, driven by pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing. These pressures led to their extirpation from the Maumee and left the species endangered throughout Ohio.
In 2018, a collaborative initiative led by the University of Toledo, the Toledo Zoo, and various federal and state partners set out to reintroduce lake sturgeon to the Maumee River. The long-term goal was to establish a self-sustaining population of 1,500 fish capable of natural reproduction by 2038…