CAMBRIDGE, Md.- The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory near Cambridge is using an underwater webcam to show off a rare species of fish.
Atlantic sturgeon have boney plates on their backs called "scoots," which give them a prehistoric look. Erin Markin, who is a faculty research assistant at the lab, said the sturgeon first swam in the ocean as dinosaurs roamed the earth.
"Atlantic sturgeon date back to the time of the dinosaurs," Markin said. "They date back to 150 to 200 million years ago so they're a very ancient fish."
When an opportunity came to get an underwater webcam for the sturgeon tank, the lab could not pass up the chance.
"We found some money to get an underwater camera. I thought it would be really cool," said Anne Gauzens, the lab's IT coordinator.
The webcam, which cost more than $3,000, has proven to be popular with fans worldwide.
"We've gotten hits from almost every country in the world on it," Gauzens said. She noted that the webcam has become so popular because the chances of an average person seeing a sturgeon in the wild are highly unlikely.
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