E-ATLAS

The Web-GIS ISRA Atlas

Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs)

Discrete, three-dimensional portions of habitat, important for one or more shark, ray, or chimaera species, that are delineated and have the potential to be managed for conservation.

candidate ISRA (cISRA)

An area assessed against the ISRA Criteria during a regional expert workshop and found to have sufficient information to qualify. An Independent Review Panel reviews all cISRA proposals before they can become an ISRA.

Area of Interest (Aol)

An area considered during a regional workshop but found to have insufficient information to satisfy the ISRA Criteria and therefore does not become a candidate ISRA (cISRA). However, it is recognized for its potential to be re-assessed in the future and become a clSRA when more information is available.

Criterion A - Vulnerability

Areas important to the persistence and recovery of threatened sharks, rays, or chimaeras (e.g., those considered Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species).

Criterion B - Range Restricted

Areas holding a regular and/or predictable presence of range-restricted sharks, rays, or chimaeras which are occupied year-round or seasonally. The distribution of sharks can be restricted to that habitat geographically or by environmental conditions.

Criterion C - Life-history

Areas that are important because they are used by sharks, rays, or chimaeras to carry out vital functions across their life-cycle (i.e., reproduction, feeding, resting, or movement).

Sub-criterion C1- Reproductive Areas

Areas which are important for sharks, rays, or chimaeras to mate, give birth, lay eggs, or provide refuge and other advantages to the young.

Sub-criterion C2 - Feeding Areas

Areas that are important for shark, ray, or chimaera nutrition at one or more life-cycle stages.

Sub-criterion C3 - Resting areas

Areas that are important for sharks, rays, or chimaeras to conserve energy, often related to environmental conditions or temporal factors.

Sub-criterion C4 - Movement

Areas used by sharks, rays, or chimaeras regularly or predictably during their movements, such as migrations, which contribute to the connectivity of other functionally important areas.

Sub-criterion C5 - Undefined Aggregations

Areas where an aggregation or assemblage of sharks, rays, or chimaeras regularly and/or predictably occur, year-round or seasonally, but the function of the aggregation or assemblage is currently unknown.

Criterion D - Special Attributes

Areas important for sharks, rays, or chimaeras considered for distinct biological, behavioural, or ecological attributes (unique or associated with a unique habitat type), or which support an important diversity of species.

Sub-criterion D1 - Distinctiveness

Areas with sharks, rays, or chimaeras that display distinct biological, behavioural, or ecological characteristics.

Sub-criterion D2 - Diversity

Areas that sustain an important diversity of sharks, rays, or chimaeras.

Chimaera

Cartilaginous fishes of the order Chimaeriformes (subclass Holocephali), related to sharks and rays (subclass Elasmobranchii) in the class Chondrichthyes. Also known as ‘ghost sharks’.

Depth range

The three-dimensional component of an ISRA that refers to the part of the water column used by the Qualifying Species within the area. Depth range categories are as follows:

shelf/epipelagic (0-199m)
upper slope/mesopelagic (200-999m)
deep slope/bathyal/bathypelagic (1,000-3,999 m)
abyssal/abyssopelagic (4,000-5,999 m)
hadal/hadopelagic (>6,000 m)

Independent Review Panel (IRP)

A body composed of recognised shark experts who have not been involved in the nomination of areas or workshops to develop clSRAs, but who have an in-depth understanding of species, habitats, and ISRA Criteria. They are responsible for reviewing clSRAs and assessing whether they can be confirmed as ISRAs.

Qualifying Species

Species that satisfy one or more of the ISRA Criteria.

Ray

Any species from the orders Rhinopristiformes, Torpediniformes, Rajiformes, or Myliobatiformes (class Chondrichthyes; subclass Elasmobranchii). Often referred to as "batoid".

Shark

Any species from the orders Hexanchiformes, Echinorhiniformes, Squaliformes, Pristiophoriformes, Squatiniformes, Heterodontiformes, Orectolobiformes, Lamniformes, or Carcharhiniformes (class Chondrichthyes; subclass Elasmobranchii).

For more information, please refer to the ISRA Guidance Document.

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Important Shark and Ray Area (Surface)
Important Shark and Ray Area (Subsurface)
Movement ISRA
Diversity ISRA
Area of Interest
Region not assessed

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group 2026. Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) eAtlas. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group. Version 2026-2 (April).

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