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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

@iucnshark.bsky.social
1.9K followers 201 following 638 posts

The IUCN SSC Shark Specialsit Group was established in 1991 to respond to growing awareness and concern of the severe impact of fisheries on shark, ray, and chimaera populations around the world.

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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Sharks and rays are part of a much bigger marine conservation picture. In September, our Chair, Rima Jabado, co-hosted the IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) Strategic Planning Workshop in Tenerife in her role as MCC Co-Chair.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the South Shore Anegada in the British Virgin Islands! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today’s featured Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) is the Turneffe Atoll in Belize! Learn more about the ISRA project: sharkrayareas.org/isra/faq/ and see the compendium: doi.org/10.59216/ssg... #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
My latest for @therevelator.org is all about the important shark and ray areas project, a global-scale collaboration that has identified over 1,000 places significant for migration, reproduction, and more. 🧪🌎🦑🦈 To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places therevelator.org/save-sharks-...
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
NEW PUBLICATION ALERT Read the latest publication released by the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group with an update on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project: North American and Caribbean Atlantic: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas Read here: doi.org/10.59216/ssg...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
ISRA Workshop – North American Pacific and Caribbean Atlantic, 2–6 March 2026, Playa del Carmen, Mexico The combined 11th and 12th Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) regional expert workshop was held in hybrid mode earlier this year.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
NEW PUBLICATION ALERT | 259 important shark, ray, and chimaera habitats mapped across North America and the Caribbean New additions to the global ISRA eAtlas reveal major migration corridors, nursery grounds, and aggregation sites across Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific waters.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today is #WorldMantaDay ! This year’s theme, Collaboration, reflects exactly what manta conservation requires. Manta rays move across borders and depend on particular places to feed, clean, aggregate, and reproduce.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Whale Shark conservation is a reminder of what is possible when people come together around a shared goal.
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Happy International Whale Shark Day! Today we are celebrating one of the most iconic species, in size and charisma. Despite their fame, and global conservation efforts, they are still listed as Endangered.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Happy International Whale Shark Day! The world’s largest fish, the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus), can reach extraordinary sizes, with individuals of up to 20 m recorded.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
A major milestone for the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project: we have completed our 13th and final regional expert workshop, covering the African Atlantic!
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
From Cameroon in 2023 to Morocco in 2026, the West and Central Africa Elasmobranch Coalition has grown into an increasingly strong regional network for shark and ray science and conservation.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
NEW PUBLICATION ALERT | Prioritizing Shark, Ray & Chimaera Conservation in Rapidly Changing Polar Waters ❄️🦈 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/gcb....
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Follow IUCN Species Survival Commission groups, members, and more via the IUCN SSC Starter Pack: go.bsky.app/4mGN37B #WeAreSSC #biodiversity #conservation
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Meet the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group! The IUCN SSC SSG is the globally recognized, leading authority on the status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. #WeAreSSC #Chimaeras #Rays #Sharks #biodiversitymatters #Marine #Conservation @iucnshark.bsky.social
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Neil Cook @neildcook.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Very happy to see this work with @sarahperry.bsky.social @cbmwc.bsky.social and co published. These findings help guide our continued efforts to better understand when, where and why #angelsharks are using @iucnshark.bsky.social Cardigan-Caernarfon Bay #ISRA 🦈 🌊 📹 #BRUVS #openaccess #sharkscience
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
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
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
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
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
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
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
🦈 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?
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
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
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High Seas Alliance @highseasalliance.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
🦈 Highly migratory sharks and rays don’t recognise geopolitical boundaries, but they are equally affected by the global effects of destructive activities, pollution & climate change. The High Seas Treaty can effectively protect them with the establishment of High Seas #MPAs. #SharkAwarenessDay
A stylized illustration of a whale shark with faint images of world maps in the background. The text reads, "Sharks Know No Borders," and the hashtag "#60toGlobal" is in the bottom right corner.
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IPBES @ipbes.net · 14/07/2026
Sharks vary in size, from the largest fish on the planet to the length of a human palm. 🦈 On this #SharkAwarenessDay, find out just how large different shark species are with this National Geographic graphic: ow.ly/sP6x50ZmOCz
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Amanda Arnold 🦈 @amandasodysseys.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
#SharkAwarenessDay Nearly 1/2 of numbfish species are threatened, yet most have <1% of their range in no-take MPAs. Explore species-level MPA coverage in our new paper: tinyurl.com/SharkRayMPA and app: tinyurl.com/sharkRayMpaExplorer @iucnshark.bsky.social #numbfishes #sharks #rays #conservation
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
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.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
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-...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
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-...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
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.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
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.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
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.
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
ONE WEEK LEFT | The deadline to submit your story to Shark News Issue 14 is fast approaching. If you have an article you are interested in featuring in Shark News check out the guidelines here: www.iucnssg.org/shark-news-g... #shark #ray #chimaera #newsletter #biodiversity #conservation
iucnssg.org
Shark News
Welcome to the quarterly issue of Shark News – the official IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG) magazine. Shark News provides a forum for the exchange of information on all aspects of shark, ray, an...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
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
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
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!
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
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?
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Happy International Angel Shark Day from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group! Illustration © IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group and Eloisa Pinheiro
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
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.
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ICES - International Council for the Exploration of the Sea @icesmarine.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
On World Oceans Day 2026, we celebrate the international collaboration that advances our knowledge of the ocean - because reimagining the future of our ocean begins with understanding it together. Happy World Oceans Day! unworldoceansday.org
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The ocean is not distant from us, it connects every aspect of life on Earth. This World Oceans Day, we are called to reimagine our relationship with the ocean: moving from passive beneficiaries to active guardians of its future.
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Save Our Seas Foundation @saveourseas.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
It's our favourite day of the year, World Ocean Day, and what better way to celebrate the launch of the 13th issue of the Save Our Seas magazine. Flip through the pages of this special issue here: bit.ly/4g6D1B1
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Wildlife Conservation Society @wcs.org · 08/06/2026
Oceans are critical, harboring up to 80% of Earth’s biodiversity. From the Bering Sea to the Coral Triangle, we’re working to reverse declines in key marine species, restore the health of important seascapes, and ensure lasting benefits for both nature and people. #WorldOceansDay
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UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 08/06/2026
Humanity's survival depends on a healthy ocean. Protecting the ocean is not just about saving marine life; it is about safeguarding our future. This #WorldOceanDay, learn more about action to #SaveOurOcean before its health reaches a breaking point: www.unep.org/topics/ocean...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
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.
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Save Our Seas Foundation @saveourseas.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Many shark and ray species move across enormous oceanic ranges into the high seas, where governance has historically been fragmented and weak, with the newly adopted BBNJ Agreement having the potential to become a critical tool for protecting these species. news.mongabay.com/2026/05/shar...
news.mongabay.com
Sharks and rays do not know boundaries and a new high seas treaty seeks to protect them
COLOMBO – As the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty,  officially came into force in January, shark scientists and conservationists who g...
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
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)
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UN Biodiversity @unbiodiversity.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
This #BiodiversityDay, celebrate local biodiversity wherever you are by joining activities, learning about the life around you, taking action in your community, & sharing what biodiversity means to you. Explore events and activities🔗 www.cbd.int/biodiversity... #LocalAction #ForNature #IDB2026
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UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 22/05/2026
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth—from plants & animals to tiny microorganisms—that keeps our ecosystems healthy and resilient. Yet habitat loss, pollution, & climate change are pushing nature to the brink. This #BiodiversityDay, find out how to take action: www.cbd.int/biodiversity...
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Ricki Coughlan @rickicoughlan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Happy International Day for Biodiversity! Acting locally means personal actions, let's consider our choices and their impact on the earth: what we consume, supply chains, what we eat, how we travel, who we vote for. You and I are part of this. www.cbd.int/biodiversity... #BiodiversityDay #nature
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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Today we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, where this year's theme is "Acting locally for global impact." Every action to protect marine biodiversity, from coastlines to coral reefs, helps to shape a healthier planet. #WeAreSSC #BiodiversityDay #LocalAction #ForNature
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IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
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.”
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