Scientists map the ocean’s most critical shark and ray habitats in a race against extinction
Marine conservationists around the world are racing to identify the ocean habitats most critical to the survival of sharks and rays before it is too late.
At the centre of that effort is the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project, a global initiative led through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group. The project aims to pinpoint the breeding grounds, feeding hotspots and migration corridors essential to sustaining shark, ray and chimaera populations worldwide.
For Dr Rima Jabado, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, the project represents a major shift in marine conservation thinking.
“It’s not just about protecting the species anymore,” Rima said. “It’s about identifying the places in the ocean that are most important for those species to survive.”
Joining Rima on the Citizen Science Show podcast was marine scientist Dr Asia Armstrong, whose work in spatial ecology and threatened species conservation has made her a key contributor to the project.
Together, the pair described an ambitious global effort built not only on science, but also on the observations of ordinary ocean users.
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