First data retrieval validates sturgeon monitors’ function
2026-04-27 19:04:09
By Yan Wanqin.
Researchers have retrieved the first batch of data from six newly installed acoustic monitors in the Yangtze River to track the activity of Chinese sturgeon. The results show that the system, which came online last month, is functioning well.
On April 24, researchers from the Yangtze River Biodiversity Research Center boarded six navigation markers downstream of the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang. They downloaded data from the acoustic receivers, which were installed on March 25.
Researchers have retrieved the first batch of data from six newly installed acoustic monitors in the Yangtze River to track the activity of Chinese sturgeon. The results show that the system, which came online last month, is functioning well.
On April 24, researchers from the Yangtze River Biodiversity Research Center boarded six navigation markers downstream of the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang. They downloaded data from the acoustic receivers, which were installed on March 25.
Researchers retrieve data from an acoustic receiver monitoring Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River in Yichang. Photo by Wang Ying.
Each receiver has a monitoring radius of 800 meters and can automatically capture signals from tagged sturgeon swimming nearby.
"The marker-based stations cover main waterways and deep-water zones, effectively removing blind spots in shore-based monitoring," said Zhu Jiazhi, a senior engineer at the center, a facility under China Three Gorges Corporation. "Positioned in the water flow, they are closer to the fish's natural habitat and collect higher-quality signals with less interference."
The selected navigation markers are located along the sturgeon's migration route, covering the section from below the Gezhouba Dam to Aijiahe, the core area of the Hubei Yichang Chinese Sturgeon Nature Reserve, the only confirmed natural spawning ground for the species.
The Chinese sturgeon, one of the oldest vertebrates on Earth with a history of more than 140 million years, was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2010. As of 2024, more than 8 million artificially bred Chinese sturgeon fry have been released.
About 50,000 juveniles were released near Yichang last month, with some implanted with acoustic tags to track their adaptation and migration. The new monitoring system will help assess the effectiveness of such release programs.
The Yangtze River Yichang Waterway Bureau, a partner in the project, conducts weekly inspections of the waterway and navigation markers.
"We check for any damage or displacement to ensure normal operation," said Yuan Xiaoling, head of the navigation channel department. "We are taking multiple measures to safeguard the sturgeon's nursery grounds."
Wang Ying, Wang Zi contributed to this story.
