Migratory fish and the river as a natural habitat
Sturgeons - the largest migratory and river fish in our latitudes - were once an integral part of European waters. But weirs, pollution and river engineering have blocked their path to spawning grounds, depriving them of their livelihood and food source. Combined with unsustainable fishing, populations collapsed dramatically at the end of the 19th century.
Today, our native sturgeons are among the most endangered fish species in the world: They are considered extinct in Germany, and in Europe there is only one remaining population in France. The sturgeon is therefore also representative of the global biodiversity crisis, which is affecting the underwater world particularly severely. Measures to protect sturgeon - such as improving their habitats - also benefit other species and the ecosystem as a whole.
In addition to the travelling exhibition, a collection of cards and a water poster are available for hands-on learning about the river as a natural environment and its inhabitants. They provide inspiration, project ideas and suggestions for work in the classroom or outdoors and can be downloaded free of charge at the bottom of this page.
For more information on the sturgeon and the reintroduction programme, click here >
And discover 19 other fascinating freshwater species on this page >
