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Beyond migrants and residents: complex partial migrations in differentially migrating shortnose sturgeon

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Nolan, Joseph D., Waldrop, Ellen, Post, William C., Farrae, Daniel J., Darden, Tanya L., Ingram, Evan C., Fox, Adam G., Hamel, Martin J.·2026·Movement Ecology
DOI 10.1186/s40462-026-00653-xPMC PMC13255447
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Partial migration refers to populations that contain both resident and migrant individuals. Partially migratory populations exhibit broad behavioral plasticity, with individual variation stemming from a combination of environmental influences, inheritable genetics, and sexual dimorphism. The United States federally endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) have been observed to form partially migratory populations in the Gulf of Maine, with sex-biased migration behavior and complex differential timing. However, migrations in southern populations are poorly understood, as are the influences behind migratory life history determination for this species. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics and influences of partial migration behaviors in several shortnose sturgeon populations in the southern extent of its range. METHODS: Long-term (2011–2024) acoustic telemetry data from shortnose sturgeon across the southern United States (i.e., Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina) were used to identify behaviorally distinct migratory contingents using an analysis of similarities with several migration metrics and residency indices. Population- and sex-level influences on migratory life history determination were then assessed using generalized linear and multinomial models. RESULTS: Multiple behavioral contingents were present within both the migratory and resident groups of southern shortnose sturgeon spawning populations. Individuals classified as resident did not move to other rivers, and differential behaviors between resident contingents were observed where some fish traveled into the lower river and connected estuarine/coastal environments of their spawning river system while others remained upriver. Migrants were detected in at least one river system beyond their putative spawning river, and differential behaviors between migrant contingents related to residency patterns, connectivity, and travel distances during coastal inter-river migration. Furthermore, females had a greater probability of being migratory than males, and larger populations displayed more migratory life histories than smaller populations. CONCLUSIONS: Shortnose sturgeon populations in the southern United States exhibited extensive behavioral plasticity, with sex- and population-level influences on migratory life history determination. Behavioral diversity is critical for stability and persistence of partially migrating populations, and our study demonstrates such behavioral complexity for shortnose sturgeon. Species management must account for the rull range of migratory capabilities observed in our study.

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  • Recent telemetry studies found that adult shortnose sturgeon may make frequent inter-river migrations, but those migrations occurred outside the summer sampling window.

    “recent telemetry studies found that adults may make frequent interriver migrations-but that those migrations occurred outside our summer sampling window (Nolan et al. 2025;2026).”

    From Assessing shortnose sturgeon response to estuarine dredging in the Savannah River using a before-after control-impact (BACI) approach (2026) · cites this paper as Nolan et al. 2026

    The Results report inter-river migration in 48 of 206 tracked sturgeon. The Discussion (page unavailable) says some migrants crossed the coast annually and that migrations from the Altamaha and Savannah rivers typically occurred during the December–April spawning window, outside summer. It does not establish that all such migrations occurred outside the citing authors’ summer sampling window. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Authors
Nolan, J. D., Waldrop, E., Post, W. C., Farrae, D. J., Darden, T. L., Ingram, E. C., Fox, A. G., & Hamel, M. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Georgia (US)
  • South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (US)
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks (US)
Corresponding author
Nolan, Joseph D.
ORCID
Venue
Movement Ecology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2026-04-27
Volume
14
Issue
1
ISSN
2051-3933 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s40462-026-00653-x
PMC
PMC13255447
OpenAlex
W7155979042
Cited by
1
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 1
FWCI
3.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Movement Ecology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Marine Fisheries Service
  • Duke Energy
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Savannah Harbor Expansion Project
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine and fisheries research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ichthyology and Marine Biology
Keywords
shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, partial migration, sex-biased migration, behavioral plasticity, estuarine connectivity, population size effects, endangered species management, acoustic telemetry

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