Important Shark and Ray Areas can inform conservation planning in the Mediterranean and Black Seas
The designation of protected areas needs to accelerate rapidly to achieve Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), raising concerns that protected area quality will be overlooked. Rather than basing systematic conservation planning primarily on species ranges, critical habitats for life history functions should be prioritized to enhance conservation outcomes. Such critical habitats are being identified as "Important Areas," including Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) for chondrichthyans. Solutions from systematic conservation planning scenarios with 73 chondrichthyan species in the Mediterranean and Black Seas greatly differed between approaches that ignore or include ISRAs. Including ISRAs led to higher costs for fisheries but protected a similar surface area (∼27% in both scenarios), while achieving better conservation outcomes. We highlight ways of reducing fishing costs while maintaining ISRA-based solutions. Systematic conservation planning using Important Areas gives decision makers a tool to balance cost with improved conservation quality, ultimately enhancing protected area network effectiveness by prioritizing critical habitats.
Authors
- Ryan Charles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2187-2137)
- Amanda Batlle-Morera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0275-8299)
- Nuri Başusta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4260-4772)
- Jenny R. Bortoluzzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0496-5358)
- Gabriel Morey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7411-0489)
- Jason D. Everett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6681-8054)
- Marco Milazzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2202-0542)
- Emiliano García‐Rodríguez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9078-1300)
- Simone Niedermueller
- Michel Bariche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6831-4311)
- Rima W. Jabado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6239-6723)
- Caroline Bousquet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8103-3645)
- Esmail Shakman
- Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0353-617X)
- Christoph A. Rohner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8760-8972)
- Javier Guallart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7947-4502)
- Alen Soldo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0748-7558)
- Ilija Ćetković (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3644-6859)
- Anthony James Richardson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9289-7366)
- Rigers Bakiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9613-4606)
- Théophile L. Mouton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2571-5777)
- Roxani Naasan Aga - Spyridopoulou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7448-3282)
- Asia O. Armstrong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9307-0598)
- Ioannis Giovos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5733-0092)
- Adi Barash (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0432-3045)
- Fabrizio Serena (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1428-8124)
Institutions
- Agricultural University of Tirana (AL)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli (FR)
- Fırat University (TR)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- University of the Sunshine Coast (AU)
- Tethys Research Institute (IT)
- University of Tripoli (LY)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Marine Megafauna Foundation (US)
- University Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki (GR)
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (United States) (US)
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (United Kingdom) (GB)
- WWF Italia (IT)
- Elasmo Project (AE)
- Albanian University (AL)
- Irish Life (Ireland) (IE)
- National Research Council (IT)
- Universitat de les Illes Balears (ES)
- University of Montenegro (ME)
- James Cook University (AU)
- University of Palermo (IT)
- University of Split (HR)
- American University of Beirut (LB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- iScience
- Published
- 2025-08-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113192
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.25