ISRA REGION 8 – AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH EAST INDIAN OCEAN REGION
A REGIONAL COMPENDIUM OF IMPORTANT SHARK AND RAY AREAS
Author(s)
Rima W Jabado, Emiliano García-Rodríguez, Peter M Kyne, Christoph A Rohner, Marta D Palacios, Asia O Armstrong, Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana, Vanessa Bettcher Brito, Ryan Charles, Amanda Battle-Morera
Publication date
11 February 2026
Abstract
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 delineate three-dimensional and discrete portions of habitat that are critical to the survival of sharks, rays, and chimaeras (hereafter ‘sharks’), and that have the potential to be managed for conservation. The region covered was Australia and Southeast Indian Ocean.
This scientific collaboration amongst regional and global experts resulted in the identification of 158 Important Shark and Ray Areas and 35 Areas of Interest. Identified ISRAs range in size from small areas of 0.12 km2 at depths of 0–20 m (Cabbage Tree Bay ISRA in New South Wales) to large areas of 386,754 km2 (Carnarvon Basin ISRA which spans waters of Australia and areas beyond national jurisdiction) from 0–1,928 m.
© International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group, 2026
How to cite this document
Jabado RW, García-Rodríguez E, Kyne PM, Rohner CA, Palacios MD, Armstrong AO, Gonzalez-Pestana A, Bettcher Brito V, Charles R, Batlle-Morera A. 2026. Australia and Southeast Indian Ocean: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas. Dubai: IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. https://doi.org/10.59216/ssg.isra.2026.r8
