Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Lake Sturgeon Recovery
Lake sturgeon are Missouri’s longest-lived fish species, having the potential to live over 100 years. They are also Missouri’s second largest fish, reaching up to eight feet long and over 200 pounds. This presentation will include information on their interesting life history, what the Missouri Department of Conservation has been doing to restore this species, and what the future holds for lake sturgeon in Missouri. You’ll hear stories about the travels of some interesting individual lake sturgeon with nicknames like Goober and Norman, and also learn about the first documented lake sturgeon spawning event, which happened at Mel Price Lock and Dam just a few years ago. Come ready to see pictures of big fish and small ones, and to learn how these prehistoric giants are thriving in Missouri!
Meet Your Presenter
Travis Moore
, MDC Fisheries Management Biologist
Travis has been with MDC for 28 years, working much of that on the Mississippi River. Early in his career, he worked primarily with landowners to solve pond and stream management issues on private land. On the Mississippi River and other public land, Travis conducted a variety of both game and non-game fisheries management work, monitor freshwater mussel populations, and currently serves as Missouri’s lake sturgeon recovery leader. He is a past-president of the Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, University of Missouri School of Natural Resources Alumni Board, and the Northeast Missouri Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. In his spare time, you can find him fishing from his kayak or chasing deer and turkeys.
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Dig deeper for more info on this topic.
- Mo. Dept. of Conservation fact page on lake sturgeon.
- VIDEO - Lake Sturgeon video from MDC
- ARTICLE - "MDC researchers discover lake sturgeons swimming hundreds of miles in the Mississippi River" - Aug 15, 2017, Missouri Conservationist
- ARTICLE - "Endangered species protection sought for iconic lake sturgeon" - May 14, 2018, - Center for Biological Diversity
- ARTICLE - "Strangers in their own stream - restoring lake sturgeon populations to the Lower Missouri River" - Jan. 18, 2019 - by Michael Moore, American Fisheries Society.
- ARTICLE - "Missouri lake sturgeon program aims to re-establish giant fish" - by Jacob Barker, May 8, 2015 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- ARTICLE – “Jurassic fish reproducing once more in Missouri rivers” – by Camille Phillips, May 3, 2015, St. Louis Public Radio – includes actual footage of lake sturgeon spawning.
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in St. Charles
is hosted by these wonderful partners:
All speakers are presenting for free and Big A’s is sharing the space for free! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us!
The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Rocheport and Kansas City.
A special thank you to Greg Poleski of Greenway Network for making this happen!
The views and opinions expressed by our presenters do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of Greenway Network, the Big Muddy Speaker Series or any of the partners that support this public forum. The Big Muddy Speaker Series believes that hearing diverse perspectives is a crucial building block for an informed public.
Upcoming Presentations
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Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
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