New additions to the global ISRA eAtlas reveal major migration corridors, nursery grounds, and aggregation sites across Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific waters.
What does it take to assess the extinction risk of an entire class of cartilaginous fishes? A new paper reflects on three decades of work coordinated through the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group to develop global IUCN Red List assessments for sharks, rays, and chimaeras
The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) team have published a new paper focused on the Asia region.
158 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across Australia and the Southeast Indian OceanNew scientific map highlights critical habitats for threatened and endemic species.
The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured in this new article from Green Matters. It provides a summary on across nine regions, IUCN located 816 areas where at least one threatened species of sharks and rays hosts key activities.
IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group unveils the first-ever coordinated global map of Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) for CMS-listed sharks and rays
NEW PAPER ALERT | Read the latest publication from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project in the journal iScience highlighting:
Important Areas are tools to support effective marine conservation planning;
1. Adding critical habitats to range maps enhances systematic conservation solutions;
2. Including critical habitats in solutions can cover a similar area but differ in cost; and
3. Considering Important Areas will enhance outcomes for threatened species protection
NEW PUBLICATION
We looked at how Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) can also support the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).
Our findings? 1 in 5 ISRAs already qualify as KBAs.
These area-based management tools are complimentary and using them together can be powerful to ensure nations meet their 30×30 commitments under Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
See the newest publication on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project published in the journal, PLOS One.
García-Rodríguez E, Gonzalez-Pestana A, Charles R, Palacios MD, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Alfaro-Shigueto J, et al. (2025). Mapping Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Central and South American Pacific: existing knowledge and data needs. PLoS One 20(4): e0322445. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322445
