The Asia region harbors exceptional chondrichthyan (shark, ray, and chimaera) diversity but faces intense fishing pressure. The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) process provides a collaborative, evidence-based framework to identify critical habitats and inform spatial management. We assessed ISRAs across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific to characterize their extent, ecological significance, and...

The selection of areas for land use activity has long been of interest in environmental modeling. Such areas have been referred to as patches, blocks, districts and zones, representing activities like nature preserves, harvest operations, hazard mitigation, residential developments, industrial processing plants and storage facilities, among others. Many important spatial attributes of these areas are often necessary or desired...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are key ocean conservation tools that can safeguard the diversity and function of marine ecosystems in the face of an increasing footprint and intensity of human activities. To be effective, MPA design, implementation, and management must consider not only individual, but also cumulative effects of historical, current and foreseeable future activities both within and outside MPA boundaries. Cumula...

RNA viruses are infamous for their ability to cross species barriers, posing threats to global health and security. Influenza A virus (IAV) is naturally found in avian hosts but periodically spills over into marine wildlife. IAV outbreaks occur in the Northwest Atlantic, but grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) appear to be less susceptible to IAV compared to other species. The subclinical nature of IAV infection in addition to l...