Directed conservation of the world's reef sharks and rays

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Conservation Science
• Fisheries Management

Background:

• Shark populations face global decline, impacting ecosystems and economies.
• Marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries management are proposed conservation solutions.
• The synergistic effects of MPAs and fisheries management on elasmobranchs are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of fully protected areas (FPAs) for coral reef elasmobranchs.
• To investigate the interaction between FPAs and fisheries management regimes.
• To identify factors influencing conservation benefits for sharks and rays.

Main Methods:

• Global survey of 66 fully protected areas across 36 countries.
• Comparison of elasmobranch abundance inside and outside FPAs.
• Analysis of FPA size and reef distinctness as conservation factors.

Main Results:

• Reef-associated sharks were twice as abundant in FPAs compared to fished areas.
• Conservation benefits were greatest in large FPAs encompassing distinct reefs.
• FPAs combined with effective fisheries management nearly doubled conservation benefits for elasmobranchs.
• Benefits were not consistently observed for rays or wide-ranging sharks.

Conclusions:

• A combined approach of effective fisheries management and well-designed FPAs is crucial for conserving tropical elasmobranchs.
• MPAs alone are insufficient for protecting all threatened shark and ray species.
• Management strategies must consider species-specific ecological needs and movement patterns.