Green Sturgeon 5-Year Review

Southern DPS green sturgeon were listed as a threatened species under the ESA in 2006. NOAA Fisheries has completed an ESA 5-year status review of Southern DPS green sturgeon and recommends that they remain classified as threatened.

The Southern DPS green sturgeon is a single spawning population that consists of a minimum population abundance estimate of approximately 17,500 fish. There are no estimated population growth rates for this species, and current population trends are unclear due to inconsistent monitoring.

While the species’ range spans from Baja California, Mexico to Bering Sea, Alaska, they have only one consistent spawning population in the Sacramento River.

Due to the single spawning population, certain threats could be catastrophic to the population. These are extreme natural events and disease outbreaks. The majority of threats to the species are highly ranked, especially barriers to migration. In addition, climate change-driven threats, including warm water events, sea level rise, and ocean acidification, may negatively affect the population and/or their habitat and the ecosystem upon which they depend in the future directly, or indirectly through trophic cascade.