Conservation Value of Shallow‐Water Habitats for Rays Within a Long‐Standing Marine Protected Area

Ciaran A. Hyde; Peter M. Kyne; Simon J. Pierce; Zoe Carey; Scout Fisher; Jan‐Olaf Meynecke; Ross G. Dwyer

doi:10.1002/aqc.70339

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Conservation Value of Shallow‐Water Habitats for Rays Within a Long‐Standing Marine Protected Area

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Conservation Value of Shallow‐Water Habitats for Rays Within a Long‐Standing Marine Protected Area

Ciaran A. Hyde, Peter M. Kyne, Simon J. Pierce, Zoe Carey, Scout Fisher, Jan‐Olaf Meynecke and Ross G. Dwyer

Aquatic Conservation, Vol.36(2), pp.1-15

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70339

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Abstract

critical habitat

elasmobranchs

Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)

sharks and rays

threatened species

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a widely used tool in the conservation and protection of threatened marine species. When MPAs include the key habitat of species into their design, they can provide refuge and opportunity for recovery from exploitative pressures. This is crucial for elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) that are facing global declines from overexploitation and habitat loss. Using visual observational transects (VOT) and baited remote underwater videos (BRUV), we identified key habitats for subtropical shallow‐water rays within a long‐standing MPA in eastern Australia (Moreton Bay Marine Park), based on species richness, relative abundance and community composition. We made 1195 observations of rays from 13 species across intertidal mangrove, diverse sand, seagrass and inshore reef habitats. High species richness and relative abundance were recorded at central eastern bay locations where intertidal mangrove and diverse sand habitats occurred extensively and appeared ecologically interconnected. There was minimal overlap of ‘no‐take’ areas with important ray habitats within Moreton Bay Marine Park, signifying a limitation of no‐take zones to contribute to ray conservation. Aligning the Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) Criteria determined that a high diversity of rays, including threatened species, use these sites for vital life history functions including reproduction, feeding and/or resting. This study underscores the need for incorporation of a range of habitat types into MPA design to maximise their value to rays.

Details

Title: Conservation Value of Shallow‐Water Habitats for Rays Within a Long‐Standing Marine Protected Area
Authors: Ciaran A. Hyde (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Peter M. Kyne - Charles Darwin University
Simon J. Pierce - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Zoe Carey - Griffith University
Scout Fisher - Griffith University
Jan‐Olaf Meynecke - Griffith University
Ross G. Dwyer - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Publication details: Aquatic Conservation, Vol.36(2), pp.1-15
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1002/aqc.70339
ISSN: 1099-0755; 1052-7613
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are provided as supporting information (Supplementary S2).
Grants: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship, RTP, Department of Education (Australia, Canberra)
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991212779102621
Output Type: Journal article

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