Science must shape policy. In the Galápagos and beyond, there is a push to grant Critically Endangered scalloped hammerhead greater protection. Here’s how research becomes law, and why it matters now. More below in Pelayo Salinas’ blog. saveourseas.com/update/bridg...

Ahead of Valentine’s Day: some tips from species who know how to woo their lovers. The trick is knowing what makes your partner happy. A love song bellowed from 1000 kms away? Whales do it. Stepping in to help with the kids? Seahorses are legendary ‘Latte Papas’. And more! ✍ Kelsey Dickson

Student Travel Grants for Sharks International 2026! Presenting your work? Need support to attend? Grants of up to $1,000 are available to students, awarded based on financial need. Apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Applications close: 18:00 CET | 2 March 2026

Kirsti Burnett sequenced the very first reference genome for the blackchin guitarfish, which will be used to assess the genetic health of the population in Cabo Verde. saveourseas.com/update/build...

Several species venture through the waters of Jeddah's Red Sea, but silky sharks stand out from the rest. These sleek pelagic (open ocean) predators were once the most abundant shark species in the world, but are now one of its most overfished inhabitants. 📷: Jake Wilton

A shark with sightings so rare that it's only been documented fewer than 250 times worldwide, the deep-sea goblin shark was hauled aboard for the first time in Canary Island waters. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/rare-de...

Meet Herbert the hermit crab. He can’t grow his own shell, but he likes to think his strengths lie in other areas, like scuttling and fighting. There is fierce competition over perfectly sized shells, so Herbert will be ‘throwing some claw’ when he gets a bit too plump to fit this shell.

For Ana Lúcia Furtado Soares, witnessing her work through the eyes of SOSF Ocean Storytelling Photography Grant winner Nicholas Hahn was both affirming and energising, as Nicholas documented her work in community-led shark conservation. saveourseas.com/update/docum...

The oceanic whitetip shark is a living answer to the place that shaped it. Perfectly adapted to life in the open ocean, these animals hunt mostly at night, patrolling the watery desert in search of pelagic fish and squid. It is an exquisite demonstration of form and function. 🎥: Byron Dilkes

Concerningly, a study found that 7.1% of 125 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Western Indian Ocean fell within the boundaries of existing MPAs. But, Seychelles emerged as a leader in shark and ray conservation for the region. saveourseas.com/seychelles-l...

There's just a week left until applications close! For more information, click here: saveourseas.com/ocean-storyt... To apply, click here: grants.saveourseas.com

The critically endangered hawksbill turtle is a highly migratory animal, traversing the tropical and sub-tropical waters of all the world's major oceans. Their survival is at risk, mostly due to human impact. 📷: James Lea

A new study, tracking 13 blue sharks, revealed results which may hold the answer: "sharks with higher triglyceride levels and better overall body condition traveled farther, explored larger areas, and displayed more directed, transient behavior". www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...

Just a pair of vlogging queens going for their big break. 💅🎬 If they could talk, what do you think their content would be about? 🎥: Dan Beecham

One of the most widely distributed of all shark species, blue sharks are ocean wanderers. Distinct in appearance, they are long and slender in shape, with iridescent blue skin. 📷: Jake Wilton

Last week, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group released a report that identifies more than 750 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across the ocean. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/scienti...

Seychelles leads the way in the protection of sharks and rays, finds study - @saveourseas.bsky.social via Sadie HARLEY, Robert EGAN @sciencex.bsky.social phys.org/news/2026-01...

Wohoo! Another two chimaera monstrosa tagged tonight 🤩 The coloration is beautiful! Thanks to @saveourseas.bsky.social for funding the #SOSF_GhostTrack project! We’re going out again tomorrow! @bergentelemetry.bsky.social

As one of the largest annual animal migrations on the planet, the Sardine Run hosts a vast number of fish prey species moving from cool waters to warm waters, which attracts impressive numbers of predators that all feast on the small, journeying fish. 🎥: Dan Beecham

Michelle Soekoe and team built the first-ever acoustic receiver array along South Africa’s West Coast. While tracking common eagle rays, they noticed a puzzling mismatch: anglers were catching rays in abundance, but the acoustic receivers detected almost none. saveourseas.com/update/now-y...

Oriental sweetlips are regular clients at reef cleaning stations where tiny blue-streak cleaner wrasse clean, remove parasites, dead skin, and debris from larger fish. This behaviour is an example of mutualism where both benefit. 📷: Dan Beecham

Two barbels project downward from the blunt snout of this juvenile leopard catshark. These barbels help them locate prey on nocturnal hunts, in the warmer coastal waters of South Africa, where they're resident to the rocky reefs and the kelp forests. 📷: Jake Wilton

Calling all emerging conservation filmmakers. Applications for our Ocean Storytelling Film Grant close on 30 January 2026. Here is everything you need to know about this opportunity. Apply here: grants.saveourseas.com

The end of 2025 was rang in with success for shark and ray conservation. At the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) CoP20, over 70 of these species received new protection from international trade. saveourseas.com/resounding-s...

What is eDNA? And why is an eDNA reference library important? Find out the answers to these questions in Reem Almealla’s blog as she shares rare insight into Bahrain’s very first DNA Library for Sharks and Batoids. saveourseas.com/update/from-...

Under the expansive cloak of night, Galapagos sharks cruise the balmy waters of Bassas da India, using the low light to their advantage as they roam the vast, inky landscape in search of their next meal. 🎥: Dan Beecham

New Global Report Identifies Critical Habitats for Migratory Sharks and Rays A new global report released by the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, -

In an attempt to combat the devastating impact of artisanal fishing on batoids, Carlos Polo and team are working with local communities in the Colombian Caribbean to test alternative fishing gears that reduce the bycatch of these endangered rays. saveourseas.com/update/fishi...

Our latest research shows that silky sharks spent around half their time outside of MPAs, putting them at risk to threats like commercial fisheries and the global fin trade. saveourseas.com/the-galapago...

Satellite tracking of nomadic silky sharks shows they spend about half their time beyond the borders of Eastern Tropical Pacific marine reserves. Beyond this safety, this 'Vulnerable' species is threatened by overfishing. 🎥: Tom Campbell 🎥: Byron Dilkes

Threatened by commercial fisheries and the global fin trade, silky sharks of the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine reserves are highly vulnerable as research shows they spend about half their time beyond the safety of the reserve. Infographic by Kelsey Manners Dickson | © Save Our Seas Foundation

On any given day, being a scientist can mean acting as a finance officer, an administrator, a project manager, or even a blogger. Fieldwork may be the dream, but in reality, scientists wear many hats, and they change often. Read more in Mina Hatayama’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/befor...

“What is a sawfish? Why does it matter?” At Gonzaga’s International Sawfish Day table, these questions led to thoughtful conversations, hands-on learning, and a clearer understanding for students of how research and outreach can support sawfish conservation. saveourseas.com/update/the-s...

Clutched in their mother’s protective embrace, the eggs of peacock mantis shrimp are aerated for roughly 11 weeks before they start life as tiny larvae. Red or pink in colour, these clutches can be as large as 50,000 eggs! It seems that even in the ocean, motherhood is serious business.

In the final episode of season 8 of the World of Sharks podcast, host Isla sat down with Sarah Fowler and Dr Rima Jabado, to discuss how far we’ve come in the race to save sharks and rays from extinction, and more. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

Ichrak Bouzidi and team are working alongside fishers in Tunisia’s Gulf of Hammamet to understand when, where, and how vulnerable shortfin mako sharks are caught as bycatch to inform safer fishing practices and reduce unintended capture. saveourseas.com/update/from-...

Male Mexican hogfish are easily recognisable by the pronounced hump between the eyes and display a colour pattern distinct from females: a greyish body tinged with red, marked by a yellow bar near the midsection. 📷: Sandra Bessudo

To track elusive smooth hammerhead sharks that remain just out of reach along Portugal’s southern coast, Miguel Gandra and team are deploying drones and compiling regional sighting records to advance both shark science and how its story is told. saveourseas.com/update/impac...

The spiky crown-of-thorns starfish is a wonder to look at. Adorned in bright colours and interesting spikes, these sea stars are native to coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific region and the Great Barrier Reef, where they hide under ledges and reef nooks and crannies.

What does it take to protect a fragile paradise? In Seychelles, marine science education links classrooms to reefs, shaping students into stewards of their island nation. Read Terence Vel’s blog to learn more. saveourseas.com/update/divin...

How might fishers in Benin contribute to scalloped hammerhead conservation? Project leader Rodrigue Pelebe shares insights from surveys, training, and community action driving shark conservation in the region. saveourseas.com/update/how-c...

Jillian Morris’ blog explores how real lemon shark research is transformed into hands-on lessons through the Sharks4Kids programme, reaching students across Turks and Caicos and inspiring future ocean advocates. saveourseas.com/update/bring...

A nesting hawksbill turtle tagged in Seychelles was found dead nearly 1,500 km away on the Kenyan coast. This account traces her journey & what it reveals about migration, fishing pressure, & shared responsibility across the Western Indian Ocean. More below. saveourseas.com/update/seych...

How do you map microstructures in the brain of a 5m fish? Kara Yopak and team are using MRI chambers to study the neuroanatomy of the Critically Endangered smalltooth sawfish. More below! saveourseas.com/update/devel...

Yasmine Mohammad and the BCWhales team spent the day with seventy-nine humpbacks: a rare communion that left them feeling humbled, and in awe of these gentle giants. More below. saveourseas.com/update/an-en...

A little giant, sheltered beneath its mother’s fin. Every calf’s first lesson: safety in a mother’s care. 🎥: Luke Saddler

As our climate warms, Dr Collin Williams' latest study shows that silky sharks are avoiding higher summer temperatures in the Red Sea by keeping to a narrow band of cooler water and aggregating at a depth of 70–100 metres (230–328 feet). saveourseas.com/risk-of-over...

What is the fastest shark? We dove deep into the literature, only to find the answer isn't that straightforward. The shortfin mako shark takes the top spot on the podium. Click to find out which sharks are ranked in this 'race'. saveourseas.com/worldofshark... Artwork by Jamy Silver | © SOSF

Fishers in Kipini, Kenya, report sharp declines in shark and ray numbers. Their insights come from observed shifts in species and rising pressure, which calls for growing support for community-led protection. More below in Boaz Kaunda-Arara. saveourseas.com/update/fishe...

Tracking Somanga’s endangered guitarfishes and wedgefishes shows a coastline at a crossroads. But working with fishers, Bigeyo Neke Kuboja is now mapping out threats and protecting nursery grounds for Tanzania’s rhino rays. saveourseas.com/update/the-g...