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The Atlantic Sturgeon

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Atlantic sturgeon were a highly sought after target for commercial caviar fishermen on the Atlantic coast. Overfishing and pollution were initial reasons identified for population declines. Successful fall spawning has occurred for 3 consecutive years in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, SC. A successful temperature regime for fall spawning (without the use of hormones) has been developed for natural tank spawning. Current effort is focused on refining spawning, hatching and rearing techniques.

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Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.