Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard 2026-09-22

Hear two experts talk about half an hour of above and underwater pictures and video footage that Ken Sulak and Chris Getlinger captured this past spring.

What better way to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox?

It’s online by zoom, noon to 1 PM, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o02HNIbuSaOXTx7hP4Sriw

Encourage others to join by marking going on this facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1758099698528493

Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22

Ken Sulak says fall is an appropriate time to talk about sturgeon, because, “Sturgeon spawning this spring was likely a total failure due to the drought and then rapid warming of the river. But 20% of the population, a genetically distinct portion, is adapted to spawn in October-November as the river cools below 25 C. Good time to talk again about sturgeon migration and spawning—and the potential impact of naturally-occurring low river levels, exacerbated by excessive withdrawals.”

Ken Sulak described his video footage:

Over the course of approximately eight weeks, we were fortunate enough to be able to capture the ancient and enigmatic, Gulf sturgeon during their annual spawning migration up the Suwannee River. A journey that takes them up river 120 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, in an attempt to reach their preferred spawning grounds by Ellaville, Florida. Since this region of Florida has been experiencing a severe drought over the course of the past eight months, the Suwannee River has been extremely low with unusually clear visibility. It is because of this “anomaly“ year of low water level and good visibility, coinciding with the spring spawning migration, that we were able to get clear underwater imagery of sturgeon in their natural habitat in the Suwanee River— something that has almost never been captured by anyone before now.

The low clear water also prompted another unusual occurrence, frequent jumping!

Sturgeon jumping

Typically Gulf sturgeon only need to jump once every 1-3 days. The purpose of the jumping; to take a gulp of air to fill their swim bladder, in order to control buoyancy and conserve energy. The jump is generally followed by a great splash — down, to communicate their location with other sturgeon in the area. But this year was different. The fish seem to be jumping much more frequently than that. Increase jumping activity that was most likely due to the stress of being in less than favorable conditions. Sturgeon preferred deep, dark water, and that was definitely not the case this year. They were also likely stressed by the inability of most, to reach their spawning grounds, again due to low water levels. I believe that our images and video footage tell visually compelling story.

Christiaan Ard wrote about himself, “I like capturing the images, editing still photos and rough footage to create videos.” You’ll see some of his footage of the many animals that live in the Ichetucknee River.

Kenneth Sulak is a research fish biologist retired in 2016 from 25 years as a fish ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. Dr. Sulak has Ph.D. and Master’s degrees from the University of Miami School of Marine Science, and a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. From 1985 to 1994 he was Director and Senior Fish Biologist at the Atlantic Reference Center, Huntsman Marine Science Centre, New Brunswick, Canada. Ken has published extensively on marine fish community ecology and sturgeon life history and conservation. He has 50 years of experience researching fish ecology in coastal rivers, estuaries, and the deep sea in the Atlantic, Arctic, East Pacific, and Indian oceans. His Gulf sturgeon research filled critical gaps in knowledge of life history, population biology, and habitat requirements in coastal rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, facilitating conservation of this species. Sulak is a founding member of the North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society. For the past two decades Ken has also paddled into the past, researching the history of North Florida early settlers, their river crossings, and their impact on the Suwannee River ecosystem.

Low-water sturgeon

For other WWALS Webinars, see:
https://wwals.net/about/wwals-webinars/

They are usually on the second or third Thursday of the month, from noon to 1PM. After a brief introduction, the speaker has about 45 minutes, with the remaining time for questions and answers and discussion.

They are recorded, so if you miss one, you can see it later on YouTube. Here’s a WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QxWRGrV9iExlyXQIVnzOtPX&si=0Atnjwrm_ikyV-sh

WWALS Webinars are organized by the WWALS Events Committee; maybe you’d like to join that committee and help.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

About WWALS: Since June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity working for a healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

Mission: WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

Our Watershed: The 10,000-square-mile WWALS territory includes the Suwannee River from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico, plus the Suwannee River Estuary, and tributaries such as the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers as far north as Cordele in Georgia, as well as parts of the Floridan Aquifer, which is the primary water source for drinking, agriculture, and industry for millions of Georgia and Florida residents.

Suwannee Riverkeeper: Since December 2016, WWALS is the WATERKEEPER® Alliance Member for the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary as Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®, which is a project and a staff position of WWALS focusing on our advocacy.

Contact: John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
850-290-2350
wwalswatershed@gmail.com

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Gulf Sturgeon of the Suwannee River