Dead Atlantic Sturgeon Washes Up On Harvey Cedars Beach

HARVEY CEDARS, NJ - The body of an endangered, rarely seen Atlantic Sturgeon washed up on the Bergen Avenue beach on Wednesday, the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol said.

The Beach Patrol notified the state Department of Environmental Protection of the find.

"Never know what you may find washed up at the beach," a post on the Beach Patrol's Facebook page said.

The Atlantic Sturgeon population has plummeted because of overfishing and loss of habitat. People flocked to the Eastern United States in the late 1800's in search of sturgeon eggs to make high-quality caviar.

Sturgeon can grow to be up to 14 feet, 800 pounds and live up to 60 years old.

Photo: Courtesy of Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol