Hammerhead shark numbers have been reduced worldwide, with some populations down by 98%. But in Australia, Nicolas Lubitz and team are uncovering hotspots where great hammerheads, scalloped hammerheads, and winghead sharks still exist in relatively high numbers. saveourseas.com/update/37520/

A deep dependence on the sea was reported in a survey of 31 small-scale fishers in Lunyuk, southern Sumbawa. And with the troubling catch of juveniles and adults, the an urgent need for co-managed, incentive-based conservation. More below in M Said Ramdlan’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/what-...

On this week's World Of Sharks podcast episode, Isla Hodgson is joined by Dr Yannis Papastamatiou. They get to talking about his work using cutting-edge technology to explore how sharks move, forage, and interact with one another. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

A new global study has revealed the staggering toll of exploitation on manta and devil rays (mobulids), with over 264,000 individuals caught and killed every year. Mobulid rays are now among the most threatened of all sharks and rays.

Wading along the shore on Aldabra, this grey heron is framed in the endless expanse of blue wilderness, where sunlight powders the sky. 📷: Dan Beecham

Along South Africa’s Eastern Cape, a deep-water port built for industry is serving as an unexpected haven for sharks. Ngqura’s sheltered waters host hundreds of smoothhound sharks, suggesting it may serve as a new pupping ground. More below in Matt Dicken’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/the-p...

Events of sharks taking fish from lines are sparking growing tension in the Maldives. As reports of ‘bite-offs’ rise, Mina Hatayama and team are looking at how to navigate the fine line between conservation and livelihoods. saveourseas.com/update/befor...

Juvenile emperor red snappers are often found sheltering among the spines of radiant sea urchins. The venomous spines of the urchin offer cover from predators for these young fish in the more vulnerable stage of their life until they’re large enough to venture into deeper waters to live as adults.

To rebuild capacity, Matavee Chuangcharoendee and team are training conservationists, government staff, and divers in ethical tagging, which will lay the groundwork for smarter, science-driven protection of Thailand’s iconic sharks. saveourseas.com/update/rebui...

As demand for fish maw transforms local fisheries in PNG'S remote Kikori Delta, the Piku Biodiversity Network Inc. works with communities to monitor and protect endangered species, and to keep tradition and sustainability in balance. More in Yolarnie Amepou’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/looki...

As we fast approach a conservation tipping point for sharks and rays, the upcoming CITES CoP20 is an opportunity for leaders to vote for stronger protections and to bring unregulated trade under international control. Infographic by Kelsey Manners Dickson | © SOSF #CITESCoP20 @wcs.org

What began as simple interviews grew into an exchange of knowledge. Through trust and time spent with local fishers, new insights emerged that show overlooked pressures on Türkiye’s guitarfishes, while opening fresh lines of research. More below in Ismet Seygu’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/beyon...

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are under severe threat in Benin, targeted by artisanal fisheries for their high-value fins. ECO-NATURE ONG is now documenting catches and trade to inform conservation and safeguard the species’ future. More below in Rodrigue Plebe’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/susta...

To protect these species, experts recommend stronger international and national protections, including listing all manta and devil ray species under CITES Appendix I, enforcing fishing bans in critical habitats, limiting harmful fishing methods, and involving local fishers in management.

Perhaps not the nudibranch you're used to: this Melibe viridis, filmed in Indonesia, has a rather peculiar mouth. It has an oral veil, an expandable hood used for hunting. Using their veil as a fish net, they scour the seafloor and seagrass blades for small crustaceans.

In the Colombian Caribbean, fishers and scientists are coming together to protect rays, often caught as bycatch. Through workshops, monitoring, and gear trials, local knowledge and science are uniting to reduce pressure on these essential species More here: saveourseas.com/update/fishi...

From childhood stories along the Cape Coast to leading the Shark Spotters GTP, Brandon Beukes' journey is one of returning home to family, community, and to the ocean that shaped him. More below in Jamila Janna and Susie Taylor’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/when-... @sharkspotters.bsky.social

New Study Reveals Persistent Illegal Trade in Protected Sharks with Calls to Strengthen World’s Wildlife-Trade Treaty to Prevent Extinctions. @wcs.org @fiu.bsky.social 🎥: Byron Dilkes 🎥: Open Planet Studios | Silverback Films

A new study reveals that critically endangered sharks continue to appear in alarming numbers in the world’s largest hub for the shark-fin trade. "This study reveals a systemic failure to uphold existing protections,” said lead author, Dr. Diego Cardeñosa. newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release... @wcs.org

Around a lone buoy off Andros, silky sharks gather and disperse in patterns still unfolding. Acoustic tags offer insight into their movements, and hint that some of these ocean wanderers may be far more homely than imagined. More in Tristan Guttridge’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/bouys...

Over seventy years after DNA’s structure was first described, its code is now helping Rodrigo Domingues understand Brazil’s endangered guitarfishes. Genetic studies are showing us how these elusive rays evolve, adapt, and what it may take to ensure their survival. saveourseas.com/update/four-...

DNA analysis from Hong Kong’s shark-fin markets reveals massive ongoing trade in critically endangered species such as oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks. The data show that tougher enforcement of CITES and fisheries rules is needed worldwide. 📷: Shawn Heinrichs 📷: James Morgan

Climate change is driving coral reefs beyond their tipping point, pushing these vulnerable systems harder than they can push back. And there's a domino effect - marine species like turtles risk losing their habitat and food sources, swinging life on the reef into imbalance. 🎥: Rainer von Brandis

Ghanaian fishers are turning decades of ocean knowledge into maps to serve the protection of shark-like rays, while learning new alternative livelihoods to ease the pressure on fragile marine species. More below in Issah Seidu’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/commu...

As dawn rises over False Bay, marine scientist Dr Toby Rogers readies his team to track bronze whaler sharks. From Wales to South Africa, his work with @sharkspotters.bsky.social combines research and conservation to better understand these coastal predators. saveourseas.com/update/when-...

A conservation victory for green sea turtles was announced: a downgrade of the conservation status from Endangered to Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 🎥: Open Planet Studios | Silverback Films & Riverbank Studios 🎥: Jade Schultz 🎥: Moose 🎥: Sebastian Staines

As the Mother City welcomes warmer days, the ocean splashed across Cape Town's architecture becomes an exciting reminder that the city harbours more than nightlife and urban adventure. @pangeaseed.bsky.social's Sea Walls 📷: Yoshi Yanagita 🎨: Sonny Behan, Dulk, Motelseven, Yeye Weller

The largest migration of animals occurs in the twilight zone of the ocean. INNOVATE follows sharks and rays into this hidden realm to understand how their deep dives connect life from the surface to the abyss. More below in Jorge Miguel Rodrigues Fontes’ blog. saveourseas.com/update/innov...

Once shark carcasses hit the market, most of the features needed for ID are gone. Texture, colour, and even meat density become the only clues. Now, fisheries technicians in Seychelles are being trained to recognise various species. More in John Nevill’s blog. saveourseas.com/project/moni...

Found along the seafloor of every ocean in the world, sea urchins are not the simple, stationary pin-cushions that some people believe them to be. They have specialised adaptations which include many tiny tube feet, tentacles, that sprout amongst their sharp spines.

In less than a month, world leaders will meet at CITES CoP20, to vote on proposals to amend CITES Appendices, which will see the addition and removal of species, affecting the level of protection they receive from international trade. Sign the petition here: only.one/act/cites-2025

No two days look the same in Sri Lanka’s small-scale fisheries. With catch, gear, and routines shifting with weather and opportunity, Nimna Wickramasingha is learning that monitoring these systems means quickly adapting. saveourseas.com/update/shift... @blueresources.bsky.social

In Sri Lanka’s bustling Valaichchenai Harbour, eDNA is offering vital insight into understanding which sharks and rays are caught by artisanal fisheries - a fisheries hard to monitor. More in Nimna Wickramasingha’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/stepp... @blueresources.bsky.social

Unblinking eyes, prominent nostrils and a gaping mouth - giant moray eels are not easily missed on reefs. Opening and closing their mouths pumps water across their gills, and their powerful jaws hide a mouth lined with rows of inward-pointing teeth.

Happy Halloween! What sharks and rays can you identify trick or treating? Illustration by Anju Sabu - Oh, Dakuwaqa!

Is it a bird, or is it a plane? No, it's a Munk's pygmy devil ray. Limited to the coastal waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, to Peru, these devil rays are often found forming large, highly mobile aggregations in their range. 📷: Simon Hilbourne

The habitats of 30 species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras – otherwise known as ghost sharks – have been found to overlap with areas where proposed deep-sea mining may occur. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/deep-se...

On this week's #WoS podcast episode, we journey into the darkness with deep-sea legend Dr @britfinucci. A far from barren landscape, we meet the small-but-ferocious prickly dogfish, the luminous lanternsharks, and the ancient and toothy frilled sharks. Listen here: saveourseas.com/worldofshark...

Juvenile lemon sharks in Turks and Caicos are leaving the sanctuary of their nurseries to roam deeper and more dangerous parts of the ocean sooner than anticipated. As Project Lemon Aid incorporates acoustic tagging, new information is emerging about their journeys. saveourseas.com/update/proje...

The oceanic manta ray is listed as Endangered, threatened by pressures such as overfishing and habitat loss. Studying their movements, behaviour, and habitats is vital to understanding how best to protect them, to ensure these giants continue to exist. 🎥: Byron Dilkes

Having studied movement data from 24 tagged oceanic manta rays, researchers believe they dive to more than 1 200 metres; "picking up signals about where they are, such as changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, oxygen, temperature and light levels." www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

In the maze of Andros’ sunlit creeks, drones fly overhead and cameras are set below as the Saving The Blue team follows whispers of the smalltooth sawfish in hopes of a rare encounter. More about their search for this Critically Endangered ray in Morgan Cleary’s blog saveourseas.com/update/maste...

This ragged-tooth shark has a hitchhiker caught between its teeth, but not for long. These sharks possess a conveyor belt of teeth, arranged in rows that steadily shift forward as new ones grow behind them. It’s a brilliant adaptation with a lifetime supply of fresh, razor-sharp replacements.

A remote Atlantic seamount, a patient wait in the blue, and then, wings. A joint scientific expedition in the Azores brought researchers from Manta Trust and Manta Catalog Azores face-to-face with one of the ocean’s most elusive travellers: the sicklefin devil ray. saveourseas.com/update/a-joi...

Calling all educators, storytellers, creatives and science communicators! We want you to share your knowledge and passion for science communication at next year's Sharks International 2026 symposium, where a dedicated Science Communication session will be held.

A master of camouflage in the kelp forests of Southern Africa, the weedsucker finds refuge as an adult in the swaying kelp of the Great African Seaforest. They have a specially adapted disc-like sucker, formed from modified pelvic fins, that they use to adhere to surfaces. 📷: Jannes Lanschoff

In crocodile country, Aaron Hasenei and team scoured a Queensland reef flat for elusive walking sharks. The hours of tense searching are in pursuit of a deeper understanding of how these animals will face a warming ocean. More in Aaron’s blog below. saveourseas.com/update/shark...

Lionfish are cunning hunters and even better defenders with their venomous spines. Since being introduced in the Atlantic Ocean, their numbers have boomed. Without natural predators, they have proliferated, feeding on herbivorous fish, which disrupts the balance on coral reefs in these regions.

To protect eagle rays, conservation must begin with people. In northern Chile, schoolchildren are becoming allies for the ocean, inspired to see their local waters in a new light. More below in Ana Maria Garcia Cegarra’s blog. saveourseas.com/update/envir...

Discovery often hides in the familiar. In South Africa’s kelp forests, Jannes Landschoff realised a ‘known' cuttlefish wasn’t known at all, thanks to an otter’s leftover meal. More below in Jannes’ blog. saveourseas.com/update/whats...