Now, in some good news for the species, a new study in\u00a0Fishery Bulletin<\/a>\u00a0has revealed that Florida\u2019s Indian River Lagoon \u2013 once a nursery for these funny-faced fish \u2013 may be supporting juveniles again.\u00a0<\/p>\n Researchers from\u00a0Florida Atlantic University<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute<\/a>\u00a0and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission<\/a> (FWC) attached acoustic tags to seven small juvenile smalltooth sawfish<\/a> between 2020 and 2023. <\/p>\n Using these tags allowed them to see where the fish went over the next year or two \u2013 an important period because small juveniles stay in nursery areas for the first two to three years of their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n Their findings revealed that the juveniles strongly preferred an area in the South Fork of the Saint Lucie River. Of the days the sawfish were detected, they spent up to 87 percent of their time in a 0.15-square-mile area \u2013 smaller than Vatican City.<\/p>\n \u201cThese findings provide the first evidence that the Indian River Lagoon is once again functioning as a nursery for this endangered species,\u201d says the study\u2019s author Sarah Torre, Ph.D. candidate at FAU Harbor Branch. \u201cWhile other coastal species, like juvenile bull sharks, also use broad estuarine nurseries, the strong fidelity of smalltooth sawfish to relatively small sections of the nursery during their first two years is unique.\u201d<\/p>\n The little ones also seemed to prefer certain environmental conditions. Juvenile sawfish were most often seen in waters between 23.8 and 28.8 degrees Celsius (75 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit) and with a salinity of between 15 and 30 parts per thousand (ppt). For context, ocean water has an average salinity of 35 ppt. But if the temperature or salinity changed, some of the juveniles moved downstream temporarily.\u00a0<\/p>\n Knowing where juvenile sawfish spend their time gives experts an idea of where to focus conservation efforts. <\/p>\n \u201cThese findings highlight the ecological importance of this region, the need to preserve red mangroves and maintain healthy water quality, and the value of targeted conservation efforts to help smalltooth sawfish re-establish in their historical range,\u201d says co-author\u00a0Matt Ajemian<\/a>, Ph.D., an associate research professor and director of the\u00a0Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab<\/a>\u00a0(FEC) at FAU Harbor Branch.<\/p>\n![\"Smalltooth\u00a0sawfish\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Smalltooth-sawfish-1.jpeg\")
The smalltooth\u00a0sawfish is one of five species of sawfish. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission<\/p>\n![\"Smalltooth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Smalltooth-sawfish-recovery.jpeg\")
Researchers working with a female smalltooth sawfish. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission<\/p>\n
![\"Smalltooth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Smalltooth-sawfish-2.jpeg\")
Identifying areas where juvenile smalltooth sawfish are successfully surviving is vital for the species, say the researchers. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission<\/p>\n