The ocean is home to magnificent diversity, including over 1,200 species of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), each playing a vital role in maintaining balance in marine ecosystems.
Henderson and Ducie Islands are now part of a prestigious list of 179 newly designated shark and ray conservation sites across the Pacific and New Zealand.
Knowing where different sharks and rays reproduce, feed, hang out, and rest, is important for conservation. A new atlas of these areas is sparking optimism for these threatened fishes.
In August this year, shark and ray experts from across the Pacific Islands region and New Zealand met to review over 350 potential Areas of Interest across Oceania.
A recent assessment using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species indicated that more than one-third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras are threatened with extinction.
The Marine Megafauna Foundation’s research has been instrumental in identifying key habitats in the Western Indian Ocean, newly designated Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs)
In Ghana, over 65% of shark species fall under the categories of critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. The situation is no better in Indonesia
All of the saltwater bodies on Earth make up one big ocean. But within it, there is infinite variety – just ask any scuba diver.
Le projet ISRA, Important Sharks and Rays Areas, se définit par deux zones, l’une de 98 kilomètres carrés entre Saint-Gilles et Saint-Paul, l’autre de 20 kilomètres carrés entre L’Étang-Salé et Saint-Pierre.
Finalmente lo han conseguido. Venían realizado informes científicos sobre la importancia de dos áreas del litoral del sur de Alicante y la Región Murcia para la conservación de tiburones y rayas.
©Kris-Mikael Krister on Unsplash
© Luke Gordon
© Hannes Klostermann / Ocean Image Bank