Data for: An integrated population model and population viability assessment for the southern population of a data-poor species

We use Monte Carlo methods which draw parameters from Bayesian posterior
distributions to generate a distribution of population size estimates and
trajectories, thus giving managers a fuller accounting of the uncertainty
in the population status. We then propagate this population estimate and
its associated uncertainty into a model using Monte Carlo methods to
assess the impact of fishing bycatch on the species. We show that the
population is below the recovery goal of 3,000 adults. The current total
population estimate (including juveniles) is approximately 10,000 fish.
Our model finds that fishing bycatch pressure reduces an otherwise assumed
stable population by a median value of 0.4% per year, which could impede
the recovery of the species. Fisheries bycatch is only one of many threats
this population faces, and future work is needed to assess how other
threats, such as spawning habitat alteration through dams and water
diversions, may affect this population’s trajectory. The framework
presented here is suitable for further data integration or modular
expansion to incorporate the cumulative effects of challenges facing green
sturgeon recovery.