Mapping Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Central and South American Pacific: Existing knowledge and data needs.

ABSTRACT: Identifying critical habitats is key to the conservation and recovery of threatened species. A third of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) are threatened with extinction but robust biological and ecological information to delineate critical habitats for many species remains limited. Here, we investigated (1) research outputs and trends across the Central and South American Pacific region to determine whether sufficient information was available to identify critical habitats; (2) whether regional Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) were spatially representative; (3) what species and which ecological traits were most commonly used in the delineation of critical habitats; and (4) discuss how ISRAs can inform research priorities and area-based management in support of chondrichthy

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Rodriguez E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12058020 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature