NOAA • July 4, 2023
Did you know that there’s a family of fish found along the East Coast of the United States that dates back to the Cretaceous period more than 120 million years ago when dinosaurs were still in existence? Two species of these ancient fish, the Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, are found in coastal waters, estuaries, and rivers from Florida to Maine. NOAA Fisheries and Maine-based animation team, Puckerbrush Animation, recently partnered to create a new digital animation that talks about these two species of sturgeon and the threats that have led to their protection under the Endangered Species Act. Though sturgeon have been around for millions of years, there’s still a lot we need to learn about these ancient fish to help inform recovery efforts.