Hudson River Sturgeons
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
- Time
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- Venue
- Kaplan Hall at SUNY Orange, Newburgh, NY, 12550
- Price
- Free
The Hudson River's largest fish also has the longest ancestry. Sturgeons have a direct lineage back to the dinosaurs and are often described as living fossils. They mature very slowly but continue to grow through maturing with many of them reaching nine to fourteen feet in length and weighing up to 800 pounds.
Sturgeon offer tender, dense meat when cooked in various ways, but it is well-known for its caviar which is prized and has brought the fish to near extinction because of over-fishing. Other conservation threats have negatively impacted the sturgeon as well.
Come to Room 101, Kaplan Hall at 6pm on Wednesday, October 29 for a lecture presentation by Amanda Higgs, a fisheries biologist on the Hudson River who has been working with both Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon since 2000. Dinosaurs are alive and swimming in the Hudson River ~ the Atlantic Sturgeon and the Shortnose Sturgeon is the title of the presentation during which Higgs will explain how sturgeons have survived so long and how they “are quietly recovering [from being on the edge of extinction] but still need our help.”
Since 2010, Amanda Higgs has represented New York's interests on the Technical Committee of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, particularly working with other east coast states on sturgeon management. She manages the Hudson River adult Atlantic sturgeon survey and the array of fish detection equipment that covers the river between New York Harbor and the Troy Dam.
Amanda Higgs holds a BS in Biology from Villanova University and enjoys living and working in the Hudson Valley and Hudson River.
Kaplan Hall is located at 73 First St., Newburgh where free and secure parking is available in the college garage. Questions may be directed to Cultural Affairs at cultural@sunyorange.edu
Venue
Kaplan Hall at SUNY Orange
73 First Street
Newburgh, NY
12550
Dates
The event runs from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on the following dates.
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