Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the La Jolla in the United States! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity

Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the transboundary area: Central California to Sebastián Vizcaíno Bay Corridor! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation

Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the Elkhorn Slough in USA! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity

🦈 Calling All Divers & Photographers: Help Map Africa’s Sharks and Rays! 🌍 Have you dived along the African Atlantic Coast, from the vibrant waters of the Western Cape in South Africa up to the iconic Strait of Gibraltar?

Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the Magdalena & Almeja’s Bay in Mexico! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity

Nearly half of assessed numbfish species are threatened with extinction, yet many receive little conservation attention. Rays need awareness. Being overlooked does not mean being safe. #SharkAwarenessDay #Numbfishes #ElectricRays #Rays #Sharks #Marine #Conservation

This Shark Awareness Day, meet the overlooked electric rays: numbfishes. These small rays are often poorly studied, rarely recorded, and incidentally caught in coastal fisheries.

1 DAY TO SHARK AWARENESS DAY | The biggest celebration of the year is nearly here! We encourage everyone to take part in putting numbfishes in the spotlight and tag @IUCNShark. If you have not already done so, you can download the Shark Awareness Day Toolkit here: www.iucnssg.org/elife-media-...

2 DAYS TO SHARK AWARENESS DAY | Get ready to spread awareness on one of the most threatened vertebrate groups: sharks and rays! In particular, the shockingly overlooked numbfishes. Download the Shark Awareness Day Toolkit here: www.iucnssg.org/elife-media-...

3 DAYS TO SHARK AWARENESS DAY | "Being overlooked does not being safe" Join the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group in supporting the conservation sharks, rayas, and chimaeras. We want to hear your voice spread awareness on the overlooked Numbfishes on July 14.

4 DAYS TO SHARK AWARENESS DAY | On Shark Awareness Day, we will spotlight the overlooked electric rays: numbfishes. Join us by downloading this toolkit with suggested messaging, hashtags, visual assets, and crediting guidance to help SSG members and partners share coordinated posts.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Update | Today the @iucnred_list has been updated and it now lists 1,266 species assessments of sharks, rays, and chimaeras.

Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the Haida Gwaii in Canada! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT | North American Pacific: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas Today we are celebrating 4 years since the launch of the ISRA project with an update on the eAtlas!

NEW PAPER RELEASE | Insights from three decades of IUCN Red List assessments catalyzing shark, ray, and chimaera conservation What does it take to assess the extinction risk of an entire class of cartilaginous fishes?

Happy International Angel Shark Day from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group! Illustration © IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group and Eloisa Pinheiro

REMINDER | 1 month left to submit your article to Shark News Issue 14! Shark News is the official IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG) magazine.

Happy World Ocean Day from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group! This year's theme, "Reimagine: Beyond the World We Know, A New Relationship with Our Ocean", challenges us to think differently about how we conserve and manage our ocean.

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT | Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected Key findings • Across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific, 122 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) were identified (~1 million km² or ~3% of the region)

Today, the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG) joins the global celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity under this year’s theme: “Acting locally for global impact.”

The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) team have just wrapped up our introductory webinar on ISRAs for the African Atlantic region. Over 30 participants from across the region joined online to highlight the ISRA Process and Criteria.

To support participation in the ISRA process for the African Atlantic region, we are organising an introductory webinar on 19 May 2026 from 9:00–10:30 (GMT).

The IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group was well represented with over 30 presenters, 2 sessions "Advancing Area Based Management for Chondrichthyans: Challenges and Opportunities" and "Leveraging Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) for Policy Action", ...

This is the largest Sharks International so far, gathering scientists, students, policymakers, and many more to inspire a new wave of conservation efforts for sharks, rays, and chimaeras!

Last week Sharks International took place from the 4-8 May, including two days before and after for workshops. Over 800 attendees from 80+ countries gathered in Colombo for a jam-packed schedule of 600+ presentations and posters.

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.

Yesterday we wrapped up Day 4 of Sharks International 2026 It opened with the dynamic, tag-team plenary from Diego Cardeñosa and Stan Shea "From Hong Kong Vendors to CITES Listings: How Grassroots Data Transformed Global Shark Fin Trade Policy"

Day 3 of Sharks International We have officially passed the half-way point of #SI2026. With a brand new set of impactful talks, panels, and posters, it ushered a wide array of topics to support shark, ray, and chimaera conservation.

Day 2 of #SI2026 complete ✅ Today started off with keynote speeches on "Shifting cultures in elasmobranch conservation" by Zoya Tyabji and Barabara Wueringer.

Today kicked off the long awaited Sharks International 2026 (SI2026)! This 5-day conference is the largest conference dedicated towards sharks, rays, and chimaeras.