Angel shark on the cover of the journal Fishes.
Three potential Critical Angel Shark Areas or CASAs have been identified in the Eastern Mediterranean, specifically in Türkiye’s Fethiye Bay and Antalya Bay, which are part of the Turkish Riviera, and the Çanakkale or Dardanelles Strait, in the northwestern part of the country.
Blacktip reef shark. Photo by Ray in Manila, Flickr.
Urea – the main component of human urine – plays an important role in the timing of maturation of sharks, rays and other cartilaginous fish.
A new study by researchers with the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries found that high urea concentrations common in cartilaginous fish, particularly oviparous marine species, allow them to mature and begin to reproduce at a larger fraction of their maximal size.
Hammerhead sharks. Photo by Masayuki Agawa, Ocean Image Bank.
Sharks have persisted as powerful ocean predators for more than 400 million years. They survived five mass extinctions, diversifying into an amazing variety of forms and lifestyles. But this ancient lineage is now among the world’s most threatened species groups due to overexploitation in poorly regulated fisheries and the proliferation of wasteful finning practices.
Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Photo by amanderson2, Wikimedia Commons
Nearly two-thirds of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction, a new study in Nature Communications co-authored by the Sea Around Us’ Maria ‘Deng’ Palomares shows.