CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) _ The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute is planning a new phase in the “Saving the Sturgeon” program.

Institute officials say eight lake sturgeon will be released into the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga later this week. The fish are about 20 inches in length and have been surgically implanted with sonic tags that “broadcast” unique signals to track their movements.

The institute and its partners have released more than 150,000 lake sturgeon to the Tennessee River through captive rearing and reintroduction. But until recently, scientists have struggled to establish a rigorous monitoring program to measure the success of reintroduction.

The release is set for this Friday.