Bizarre reason for thunderous rumble in Hudson River revealed by scientists in eerie video

Nypost · Jun 09, 2026 · 492 words · By Ben Cost

Scientific Discovery Wildlife Conservation Sensationalism

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Bizarre reason for thunderous rumble in Hudson River revealed by scientists in eerie video See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Bizarre reason for thunderous rumble in Hudson River revealed by scientists in eerie video See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleSturgeons’ booty calls apparently have a bass beat.

Common ground

Scientists have discovered that the huge, Volkswagen-sized fish have been making thunderous, rumbling sounds while getting it on in the Hudson River, per a raunchy study published in the journal Endangered Species Research.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Scientific Discovery story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Before the late 1800s, the Hudson was home to 6,000 Atlantic sturgeon. Now, only 700 reside in the river, which nonetheless boasts the species’ largest population?
How does this story connect Scientific Discovery with Wildlife Conservation over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/science/scientists-reveal-randy-reason-for-rumble-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Before the late 1800s, the Hudson was home to 6,000 Atlantic sturgeon. Now, only 700 reside in the river, which nonetheless boasts the species’ largest population.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source confirms the current population is under 700 and that the Hudson River has the largest population. However, the specific historical figure of 6,000 before the late 1800s is not corroborated by the other provided sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fort Montgomery is a former fortification built on the west bank of the Hudson River in Highlands, New York by the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Erected in 1776, Fort Montgomery wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Montgomery_(Hudson_River)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of 1,230,000 km2 (470,000 sq mi). It is located north of Ontar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Bay

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Hudson River Derby, originally sometimes known as the New York derby, is the name given to the local derby between the two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs based in the New York metropolitan area, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River_Derby

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Lead author Rebecca Cohen, of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell, theorized that the resonance could be caused by jostling of the sturgeon’s swim bladder as it thrashes against the females during mating — a behavior that’s been observed at the hatchery.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly identify Rebecca Cohen of Cornell as the lead researcher and describe her findings regarding the 'thunder' sounds produced during spawning.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Carolyn Arthur "Biddy" Martin (born 1951) is an American academic and author who was the 19th president of Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, from 2011 to 2022. Before becoming president at Am…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biddy_Martin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of Cornell University alumni includes notable graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of Cornell University, an Ivy League university whose main campus is in Ithaca, Ne…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cornell_University_alu…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of Cornell University faculty includes notable current and former instructors and administrators of Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cornell_University_fac…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “During their reproductive process, the female can release up to 2 million eggs into the water, which the males fertilize externally by broadcasting milt — a sperm-filled fluid — into the water nearby.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm females release millions of eggs (up to several million) and males fertilize them externally via milt.

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web search NEUTRAL — Use milt from two or three males to fertilize eggs in order to increase genetic diversity. ... White sturgeon milt has been stored up to 2 weeks and used ...
https://srac.msstate.edu/pdfs/Fact+Sheets/7200+Species+Profi…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2024 ... While spawning, a female sturgeon will lay hundreds of thousands of eggs in the gravelly or sandy bottoms of freshwater rivers. A male sturgeon ...
https://www.boem.gov/newsroom/ocean-science-news/atlantic-st…

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web search NEUTRAL — Females can release ~400,000 to several million eggs per spawn (often cited up to ~8 million, size-dependent; NOAA Fisheries). Adults don't have teeth; they ...
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/atlantic-sturgeon/

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Claim 4: “By using underwater microphones placed in the prehistoric giants’ suspected spawning grounds in the Hudson, they were able to record this long-distance romance for the first time ever.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that researchers used underwater recordings in the Hudson River to capture these specific mating sounds.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake in the town of Newcomb,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Palisades_(Hudson_River)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “females wait up to 20 years before they first spawn.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that females mature/spawn around 18 to 20 years, with some sources noting even wider ranges depending on population.

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web search NEUTRAL — Spawning occurs from April to June in the freshwater river they were born in, with sturgeon typically only returning to spawn every 3 to 5 years. Females can ...
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/atl…

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web search NEUTRAL — Females tend to mature in 18 to 20 years. Adults ascend large coastal rivers ... on the fishery was put in place to restore Atlantic sturgeon spawning stocks.
https://dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/fishing/sturgeon/

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web search NEUTRAL — Southern populations grow more quickly and can reach sexual maturity at age 5 to 19, while in northern rivers the age at maturity could be 34 years. Sturgeon ...
https://www.fws.gov/species/atlantic-sturgeon-acipenser-oxyr…

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Claim 6: “Scientists have discovered that the huge, Volkswagen-sized fish have been making thunderous, rumbling sounds while getting it on in the Hudson River, per a raunchy study published in the journal Endangered Species Research.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that scientists recorded 'biological sounds' described as 'thunder' during Atlantic sturgeon spawning in the Hudson River.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled sp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena, all of which were formerly classified as a single species. Be…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_right_whale

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “the Atlantic sturgeon, an endangered species that can grow to 14 feet long and live up to 60 years.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources (NOAA Fisheries, State of New Hampshire Fish and Game, and VCU Rice Rivers Center) confirm the species is endangered, can grow to 14 feet, and can live over 60 years.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is the current Atlantic hurricane season in the Northern Hemisphere. The season officially began on June 1, 2026, and will end on November 30, 2026. These dates, ado…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Atlantic_hurricane_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about 85,133,000 square kilometers (32,870,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Sargasso Sea () is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. It is the only named sea without land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atla…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargasso_Sea

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.