September 21, 2026

WRITTEN BY | David Shiffman

SOURCE | The Revelator

Sharks and their relatives may seem common thanks to their constant appearances in nature documentaries and pop culture, but they face enormous threats wherever they swim and are actually some of the most threatened animals in the world.

Protecting this globally distributed and occasionally highly migratory group of animals isn’t easy — it requires an enormous amount of scientific data, expertise, and collaboration. But an ambitious initiative called the Important Shark and Ray Areas project hopes to help jump-start a new era of conservation for these amazing and misunderstood animals.

Launched in 2022 and managed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, the effort has brought together hundreds of experts at regional workshops across the globe to help identify sharks’ and rays’ essential habitats. The core team is led by SSG chair Dr. Rima Jabado and features several marine conservation scientists with expertise in spatial ecology and conservation. Their collective goal: Publish a set of publicly accessible, data-driven, interactive maps that can help conservationists, governments, and other interested parties see where sharks live so they can identify the most important waters to conserve.

After months of effort, the first Important Shark and Ray Areas maps went online this summer.