A myriad of species thrive in the world's mangrove forests; a critical habitat where land and sea meet. It is here that branching roots rise from salty water, and communities of trees create a haven for productive and biologically complex ecosystems. From 'East Wells: Bimini's Last Hope' | © SOSF

Ahead of their travels to Seychelles, Isla sat down with executive director and director of operations for @pangeaseed.bsky.social, Tre and Akira, to discuss artivism, community engagement, and ocean conservation. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

Lemon sharks have sharp, finely pointed teeth, suited to gripping and holding prey. Like all sharks, their teeth are shed continuously and replaced throughout their lifespan — a process so prolific that a lemon shark may shed more than 30 000 teeth over the course of its life. 📷: Ryan Daly

These teeny, tiny tentacles belong to the smallest cephalopod in the ocean: the pygmy squid. Living in the warm, sun-dappled waters of the Indo-Pacific, they keep to the shallows among fronds of seaweed and seagrass, attached to it with a specialised gland on their mantle.

Tracking sharks in the field is only half the work. Here's how cleaning and interpreting acoustic detection data, often thought of as ‘the unglamorous part’, adds real-world value to research. More below in Auguste Tveit and Alexandra McInturf’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/decod...

As its name suggests, the Seychelles anemonefish is found nowhere else but here, on the reefs of its islands in the western Indian Ocean. Cradled among the swaying arms of the anemone, both species share a symbiotic mutualism. :camera:: Dillys Pouponeau | © SOSF

Applications for the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) Small Grant are open! We call on early-career researchers, conservationists, and educators with local projects focused on sharks, rays, skates, sawfishes and chimaeras, to apply. To apply, visit the link below: grants.saveourseas.com

Cape fur seals and blue sharks are members of the same predatory guild, yet the relationship between these two species is more complex than simple competition. Cape fur seals have been recorded preying on blue sharks: a behaviour known as ‘asymmetrical intraguild predation’. 🎥: Simon Hilbourne

Each week, Irsyad Pishal drives an hour to a bustling Malaysian fish market, searching through piles of ‘low-value’ catch for one of the ocean’s most threatened groups: rhino rays. Step into the overlooked world of Malaysia’s fish markets and its hidden species. saveourseas.com/update/a-fir...

In what appears to be a fierce encounter between two hermit crabs, it is clear who holds the upper hand. As they grow, these crabs require larger shells - often acquired through a battle of claws. Aggressors will pull, wave antennae, and clash shells in an attempt to claim a more spacious home.

Otherworldly manta rays swoop and glide through our oceans, filtering phytoplankton from the water column. When feeding, they swim open-mouthed, their cephalic fins funnelling water inward, where plankton is sifted through tiny, rake-like gill plates. 📸: Rainer von Brandis | © SOSF

Celebrating the incredible beauty of our planet, the Environmental Photography Award rewards photographers who illustrate the different relationships that human beings have with nature. I www.discoverwildlife.com/photography/...

In the Pacific, azure waters embrace Bora Bora, the jewel of French Polynesia. Its coral lagoons teem with marine life, where blacktip reef sharks glide through the shallows. Drawn to these shallow waters, they frequently cross paths with humans with an inquisitive grace. 🎥: Luke Saddler

Miguel Gandra explores how emerging tech like open-source tags, eDNA, and AI, is breaking down barriers in marine conservation and bringing understudied sharks into focus. saveourseas.com/update/bette...

The whale shark is one of only three filter-feeding shark species, straining plankton from the water using specialised structures called gill rakers. They do this in one of two ways: ram feeding or suction feeding. 📷: Jasmine Corbett | © Manta Trust

Applications for the Save Our Seas Foundation Keystone Grants close tomorrow. Aimed at those with multi-year projects on the research, conservation or education of threatened shark and ray species. Deadline: May 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CET. 📅 Apply here: grants.saveourseas.com 🔗 📷: Jake Wilton

Beneath the calm surface of the Azores, a rare spectacle unfolds each summer: aggregations of Critically Endangered sicklefin devil rays glide gracefully through mid-Atlantic waters, presenting an opportunity for researchers to gather critical information. www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

Burrowed in the soft sands of Indonesia, this snake eel has only its head jutting from the substrate. A handful of tiny cleaner shrimp tending to their host. In this act of symbiosis, the shrimp pick away parasites and dead skin, earning their meal, while the eel is rewarded with better health.

Libya's Gulf of Sirt has been officially recognised as a critical haven for angel sharks, which are a Critically Endangered species still reproducing in waters where they've vanished elsewhere. More below in Sarah Al Mabruk’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/from-...

We often associate ocean acidification with shelled animals, but how might it affect sharks? In this episode of the #WorldOfSharks podcast, we speak with Max Baum, who suggests that it could negatively impact a shark's most useful tool: their teeth. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

There's one week left to apply for our Keystone Grants! If you're working on a multi-year project focused on the research, conservation or education of sharks, rays and chimaeras, apply now. Applications close on May 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CET. 📅 Apply here: grants.saveourseas.com 🔗 📷: Simon H

Join us this Friday at a Sharks International 2026 side event, where, alongside funders Marine Conservation Action Fund at the @newenglandaquarium.bsky.social, and Shark Conservation Fund (SCF), we will answer all your grant-related questions.

In Coquimbo Bay, Chile, Valentina Hevia-Hormazábal is dedicated to saving large groups of stranded shark and ray eggs found in pelillo seaweed, raising them until hatching and returning them to the sea. saveourseas.com/update/38516/

This chocolate-chip nudibranch, photographed by Jannes Landschoff, is part of a storytelling series that seeks to foster a sense of wonder. As yet undescribed, this endemic species gets its name from its striking appearance: a pale body adorned with scattered dark blotches. 🎥: Jannes Landschoff

One of few expanding kelp forests in the world, the Great African Seaforest, hosts a kaleidoscope of marine species. Local researchers are studying it to understand its resiliency, at a time when globally, kelp forests are declining at a rate of 1.8% per year. news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-ca...

Blue sharks are true ocean wanderers, undertaking vast migrations that follow major ocean currents. Pilot fish are frequently found accompanying sharks, rays, and sea turtles on these journeys, forming mutualistic relationships with these species. 🎥: Simon Hilbourne

Buddhi Maheshika contemplates the ethical and emotional weight of processing unborn embryos recovered from deceased guitarfish, and what it means to take stock of a life extinguished in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. saveourseas.com/update/life-...

Are you an early-career ocean professional looking to launch your career? Join us at our Sharks International 2026 side event — Saving Our Seas: Getting Your Project Funded and Making It as an Early Career Ocean Professional — free to all #SI2026 participants.

Geochemists Hilary Lewis, Brandon Mahan and shark scientist Michael Grant are changing what we know about speartooth sharks and how they navigate life in their unique river- and seascapes. Read more here: saveourseas.com/a-river-runs... Infographic by Kelsey Manners Dickson | © SOSF

Motionless on the seafloor, devil scorpionfish rely on their impeccable camouflage to blend seamlessly into surrounding coral and rock. Here they lie in wait for passing prey, lunging forward at unsuspecting animal. These ambush predators also sport a notable defence: thick, venomous dorsal spines.

Reports of rising human-shark conflict make headlines, but are these concerns founded on real data? Sam Weber and team combined multiple data sources from around Ascension Island, revealing that recent spikes in interactions follow a recurrent natural cycle. saveourseas.com/update/monit...

In Roca Partida, off Mexico's coast, whitetip reef sharks pile together during the day, resting on ledges or in caves, while at night these nocturnal hunters scour holes and crevices in the reef for prey. 📷: Jake Wilton

In the rapidly changing Antarctic environment, a critical point has been reached: emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals are now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. theconversation.com/the-beloved-...

Some sea snails have an extension of their mantle called a siphon. This tube-like structure draws water in and out of their bodies, creating a flow over their gills, allowing them to absorb oxygen. They also use their siphon to "sniff" out food, sensing chemicals in the water to help locate prey.

The humphead wrasse is easily one of the most distinguishable fish on Indo-Pacific reefs. Its prominent forehead hump, distinct colouration, and of course its enormous size ensure it's not missed as it roams coral reefs in search of hard-shelled prey. 📷: Ryan Daly

How did sharks evolve into the extraordinarily diverse and successful group of animals that we have today? On today's episode of #WoS, we meet palaeontologist Professor John Long to discuss evolutionary experimentation, fossilised clues, and survival. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

10% of the world's ocean is now protected to some degree, a number that needs to be accelerated dramatically to reach the goal of having 30% of the ocean protected by 2030. news.mongabay.com/2026/04/10-o...

Coastal cruising along the shallow shores of Bimini, Bahamas, majestic eagle rays glide effortlessly through its crystal-clear tropical waters. It is believed these rays spend time in the shallows foraging for food and seeking refuge from large predators.

Two fossilised whale skulls, discovered in Belgium, have recently been analysed using micro-CT scanning, revealing shark teeth embedded in the bone. This finding offers a clue about the feeding behaviour & scavenging in the Early Pliocene North Sea ecosystem. www.discovermagazine.com/shark-teeth-...

Only in the Coral Triangle of Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea do epaulette sharks 'walk' along complex shallow inshore reefs. They are nocturnal predators, most active at dusk and dawn, making slow headway by 'walking', using their paddle-shaped pelvic and pectoral fins.

“I had no idea.” This was the sentiment of many Libyan fishers when they learned that angel sharks are Critically Endangered. Read more about the insights Sarah Al Mabruk gained from interviews with fishers in her blog below. saveourseas.com/update/i-had...

The bobtail squid is known to hide itself in the sand during the day, but at night, their cunning camouflage comes into play. From dusk until dawn, these squid hunt their prey, aided by a nifty adaptation called counter-illumination.

The Save Our Seas Foundation is proud to announce that we'll be at the 2026 @sharks-int.bsky.social, to be held in Sri Lanka. We can't wait to see you there! If you're attending, we'd love to meet and say hi. We are amped to share with you the SOSF Team who will be present there.

Devil rays are highly revered for their beauty, and yet highly exploited for their products. Having historically evaded the pressures of commercial fishing, these rays have become increasingly targeted for the gill plate trade and the meat trade. 📷: Simon Hilbourne

The SOSF project 'Shark and ray baselines using eDNA in Bahrain' offers a glimpse of what is possible when local action meets global science. In the Arabian Gulf, eDNA surveys were completed, & with DNA barcoding, a local database of species in the region was created. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...

The Pacific Partridge tun is a nocturnal hunter found across the Indo-Pacific. These shelled molluscs bury themselves in the sand during the day, and hunt exclusively on sea cucumbers at night, engulfing their prey whole under the veil of darkness.

There's one month left to apply for our Keystone Grants! If you're working on a multi-year project focused on the research, conservation or education of sharks and rays, apply now. Applications close on May 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CET. 📅 Apply here: grants.saveourseas.com 🔗 📷: Morne Hardenberg

By interviewing fishers, Ismet Saygu has identified a potential hotspot for juvenile guitarfish along Turkey’s coast. Read more about how fishers’ knowledge is helping to strengthen protection measures for the species in this region. saveourseas.com/update/fishe...

The ocellated eagle ray has a distinct diamond-shaped disc that is significantly wider than long. They are undeniably one of the most satisfying rays to look at, with a rhomboidal disc decorated with numerous small white spots or rings. 📷: Pelayo Salinas

At a time when extinction and species decline are accelerating, the global conservation community at the 15th Conference of the Parties saw the adoption of new protections for 40 migratory species, including 33 marine animals like sharks, seabirds and shorebirds. news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migr...