Endangered smalltooth sawfish return to a historic Florida nursery, study finds
FAU's Harbor Branch and the FWC report the first evidence that juvenile smalltooth sawfish are using a historical nursery in Florida's Indian River Lagoon once again.
New research from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), provides the first evidence that the endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), listed since 2003, is using a historical nursery in the Indian River Lagoon region of southeast Florida again. The results were published in the journal Fishery Bulletin on March 17, 2026.
Using acoustic tagging, researchers tracked seven small juveniles for up to two years and found strong site fidelity to a limited area of just 0.4 square kilometers in the South Fork of the Saint Lucie River, where individuals spent up to 87 percent of their detected days. Juveniles were associated with moderate salinity and freshwater inflows, underscoring the value of shallow, mangrove-lined shorelines for protection and feeding.
"These findings provide the first evidence that the Indian River Lagoon is once again functioning as a nursery for this endangered species," said Sarah Torre, first author and Ph.D. candidate at FAU Harbor Branch.
Losses and a hopeful recovery
Smalltooth sawfish were historically abundant in the Indian River Lagoon but vanished by the 1970s, largely due to fishery bycatch, especially gill nets. The results follow the 2024 and 2025 "spinning fish" events in the Florida Keys that affected more than 80 species and likely killed hundreds of sawfish. Despite the small footprint of the confirmed areas, FWC senior author Gregg R. Poulakis said identifying places where juveniles survive is "crucial for the species' future," and managing these sites with the needs of early life stages in mind could deliver a slow but meaningful recovery.
The study was funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, awarded to the FWC. Sources: [Original FAU news release](https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/endangered-smalltooth-sawfish-comeback.php) and [FWC sawfish research](https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/sawfish/). Last updated: September 14, 2026.