The scale and drivers of marine biodiversity loss are being revealed by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment process. We present the first …

Overfishing is the primary cause of marine defaunation, yet declines in and increasing
extinction risks of individual species are difficult to measure, particularly for the largest …

The deep ocean is the last natural biodiversity refuge from the reach of human activities.
Deepwater sharks and rays are among the most sensitive marine vertebrates to …

Over the past 4 decades there has been a growing concern for the conservation status of
elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). In 2002, the first elasmobranch species were added to …

Inaccurate age estimates can have severe consequences in the management of
elasmobranchs. Numerous studies in shark age validation have demonstrated a disconnect …

Amidst global declines in elasmobranch populations resulting predominantly from
overfishing, the need to gather data regarding shark ecology is greater than ever. Many …

The study of age and growth is a fundamental component of fisheries science with important
applications in fisheries management, conservation, and branches of ecology. This chapter …

Age and growth data are central to management or conservation strategies for any species.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that male whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) grow to …

Natural mortality, M, is a key parameter for the assessment and management of living
resources but is difficult to observe directly. Therefore, M is often estimated indirectly from life …

Age and growth information is essential for stock assessment of fish, and growth model
selection may influence the accuracy of stock assessment and subsequent fishery …