IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas 158 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean ​ New scientific map highlights critical habitats for threatened and endemic species ​A major...

PRESS RELEASE |

158 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean

Read the press release here: www.iucnssg.org/news/austral...
or here: sharkrayareas.org/download/158...

#shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation

Many thanks to the generous support of the Shark Conservation Fund, @umweltministerium.de and @rewildorg.bsky.social

#shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #publication #conservation #biodiversity

ISRA Regional Expert Workshop Report - Region 8 - Australia and Southeast Indian Ocean - Important Shark Ray Areas The tenth Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) regional expert workshop was held in hybrid mode (in person and online) in Adelaide, Australia from 8–12 September 2025. The goal was to identify and…

and see the workshop report here: sharkrayareas.org/download/isr...

See the workshop video online here: sharkrayareas.org/resources/wo...
and on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/LgGYfcheKdI?...

Australia and South East Indian Ocean: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas - Important Shark Ray Areas ISRA REGION 8 – AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH EAST INDIAN OCEAN REGION A REGIONAL COMPENDIUM OF IMPORTANT SHARK AND RAY AREAS #top .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-83e32a89cd604c8045c41abf8968d991{…

The findings strengthen regional collaboration and position Australia and the southeast Indian Ocean at the forefront of evidence-based marine management.

© IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, 2025

Read the compendium here: doi.org/10.59216/ssg...

While ISRAs are not protected areas themselves, they help ensure conservation and ocean-use decisions are guided by the best available scientific knowledge.

The ISRA initiative provides a science-based foundation to inform marine spatial planning, fisheries management, environmental impact assessments, and species recovery efforts.

Australia’s waters host some of the world’s most evolutionarily unique sharks and rays, including sawfishes, river sharks, School Shark, Grey Nurse Shark, Whale Shark, and deepwater gulper sharks. Many of these species are listed under national environmental legislation.

These areas range from coastal nurseries used by juvenile sharks and rays to deepwater habitats important for feeding and aggregation.

Held in Adelaide in September 2025, the workshop brought together 217 experts and contributors to assess decades of research, fisheries data, and cutting-edge tracking studies. The results also highlighted 35 Areas of Interest where further research is needed.

A major scientific workshop has identified 158 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across Australia and the southeast Indian Ocean, providing the most comprehensive map to date of habitats essential for threatened and endemic species in the region.

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT | 158 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean

With this, almost 1,000 ISRAs have been delineated, involving over 1,500 contributors!

Student Travel Grants for Sharks International 2026!

Presenting your work? Need support to attend?

Grants of up to $1,000 are available to students, awarded based on financial need.

Apply here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Applications close: 18:00 CET | 2 March 2026

New Ocean Map Pinpoints 800+ High-Priority Areas Crucial for Shark and Rays Protection The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured in this new article from  Green Matters . It provides a summary on across nine regions, IUCN located 816 areas where at least one...

NEWS ALERT |

New Ocean Map Pinpoints 800+ High-Priority Areas Crucial for Shark and Rays Protection

Read the article here: www.iucnssg.org/news/new-oce...

#shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #research #conservation

Critical shark and ray habitats in Western Indian Ocean largely unprotected: Study In this article from Mongabay , a publication from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured. It highlights how almost half of the Western Indian Ocean’s shark and ray...

NEWS ALERT |

Critical shark and ray habitats in Western Indian Ocean largely unprotected: Study

Read the full article here: www.iucnssg.org/news/critica...

#shark #chimaera #ray #ISRA #research #conservation

New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection Read the latest update on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project. Featured on Mongabay , this article highlights "Ocean Travellers: Safeguarding Critical Habitats for Migratory Sharks and...

NEWS ALERT

New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection

Read the full article here:
www.iucnssg.org/news/new-glo...

#shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #news #conservation

Today is a reminder to support and take action to conserve wetlands and consequently support sharks and rays and people.

For example, along the River Niger, locals use juvenile or pup Smooth Stingrays (Fontitrygon garouaensis) in traditional medicine to reduce labor pain.

However, wetlands loss is increasing with climate change and human activities, causing detrimental impacts to sharks, rays, and communities.

In line with this year's theme, much of what we know about these species are from local communities, from their geographical range and biological information to cultural uses.

Similarly, human communities worldwide also rely on mangroves for their abundance of resources available, often interacting with sharks and rays.

From the global-ranging Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) to the endemic Great Freshwater Stingray (Potamotrygon rex) deep in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, mangroves serves as vital areas to sharks and rays, notably as nurseries offering protection and food.

This spotlights the timeless role of traditional knowledge in sustaining wetland ecosystems and preserving cultural identity.

@ramsar.org #WWD2026 #CelebratingWetlands #WetlandsandCulturalHeritage #sharks #rays

Happy World Wetlands Day 2026 from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group!

Fifty-five years ago today, the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) was adopted. In celebration of this, the theme for 2026 is "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage."

FAQs - Important Shark Ray Areas (ISRAs) Quickly, find out basic information on Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs), definitions and identification process

Learn more about us and the ISRA process: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq

#shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #marine #conservation #research

Last call! Our next Important Shark and Ray Areas workshop will focus on the North American and Caribbean Atlantic and North American Pacific. Preliminary areas of interest must be submitted to submissions@sharkrayareas.org by February 6th.

Spread the word to interested colleagues!

We invite you to read about the IUCN SSC SSG's success, "Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). Two years of global impact", in 2021–2025!

Read the full story here: www.iucnssg.org/annualreport...

#WeAreSSC #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity

Bending back the biodiversity loss curve of sharks and rays. The loss of sharks and rays to date has involved serial depletion of the largest, most evolutionary and functionally distinct species, and the increasing prevalence of smaller-bodied species that have benefited from release from predation.

New paper out today in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com by the #GlobalSharkTrends team: Bending back the curve of shark & ray biodiversity loss;
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ9n9
@sfu.ca
@sfubiosciences.bsky.social
@earth2ocean.bsky.social

Bending back the curve of shark and ray biodiversity loss - Nature Reviews Biodiversity Global shark and ray populations have declined sharply, driven by expanding fisheries and inequitable gaps in catch, trade and distribution data. This Review assesses global status, highlights drivers...

New #sharkscience #sharkconservation
"Bending back the curve of shark and ray biodiversity loss" in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com
go.nature.com/4jXOnaC
What will it take to reverse shark biodiversity loss? Find out in our new article out today.
@nickdulvy.bsky.social @iucnshark.bsky.social

Global report identifies critical habitats for migratory sharks and rays A report released today by the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group, with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Climate Action and...

iucn.org/press-releas...
This report by @iucnshark.bsky.social @sscmarine.bsky.social maps how globally significant Ireland is for species of Shark and Ray 🦈 Hopefully scientific research like this will inform progression of Marine Protected Areas management in Ireland.

Protecting the Ocean We Need - Securing the Future We Want Covering nearly half of the Earth’s surface, the vast open-ocean and deep-sea environments of the High Seas are ecologically vital, critically threatened and among the least understood on the planet.…

• enforce fishing regulations
• establish marine protected areas
• encourage research
• and strengthen international cooperation across the ocean

For more information see: highseasalliance.org

@highseasalliance #shark #ray #chimaera #BBNJ #HighSeasTreaty #biodiversity #MPAs #conservation

Until today, there was no comprehensive legal framework and limited data governing biodiversity in these areas. This is a historic moment for marine life. For pelagic sharks and rays in particular, which spend most of their lives in the high seas, this Agreement represents a vital opportunity to: