𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 It's hard out there for a shark. A critical barometer to the health of ocean ecosystems, shark and ray populations have faced significant global declines from overfishing, habitat loss, and environment degradation. Add to the mix a slow reproductive cycle—female great white sharks take approximately 30 years to reach sexual maturity, for instance—and the broader logistical challenges of trying to monitor animals with ranges that can exceed 10,000 nautical miles, and the task of protecting sharks becomes even more daunting. But there is some good news for sharks and rays: Researchers from Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment are part of a group of scientists that used temporal and spatial comparisons to reveal that extinction risks can be significantly reduced by having effective fisheries management and policies in place to ensure the survival of these vulnerable species. The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Readmore; https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sharks-spatial-success-story.html