The eight Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) regional expert workshop was held in hybrid mode (in person and online) in Montevideo, Uruguay from 13–17 January 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 the South American Atlantic Waters. This scientific collaboration amongst regional and global experts resulted in the identification of 81 Important Shark and Ray Areas, two candidate ISRA, and 25 Areas of Interest. Identified ISRAs range in size from small areas of 0.27 km² at depths of 0–42 m (Laje de Santos in Brazil) to large areas of 106,490 km² (Plata Canyon System which spans waters of Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and areas beyond national jurisdiction) from 0–1,792 m.

© International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group, 2025