Assessing elasmobranch nurseries on a global conservation hotspot for improved management.

Brazil’s North Coast (BNC) is a global conservation hotspot for elasmobranchs and is considered a communal nursery for several threatened species. Furthermore, the area is exploited by artisanal fishers that practice illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. This project aims to investigate if the BNC is indeed a communal nursery for elasmobranchs through habitat use analysis using vertebrae microchemistry, and to develop a more comprehensive array of conservation areas for elasmobranchs.