image by Toni Muzzo
ARCS for Sharks
Every year, our accredited facilities report on their conservation and research efforts through AZA’s Annual Report on Conservation and Science (ARCS). This report illustrates the substantial collective effort AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums dedicate towards field conservation, research, education, and green business practices each year.
The SAFE Shark and Ray team uses this data annually to collate and report on elasmobranch conservation and research within our community, with the aim to connect in situ and ex situ researchers to increase collaboration, knowledge-sharing and understanding of these incredible animals. We affectionately refer to this report as ARCS for Sharks!
How to use this Report
To review the report, download the file below and search various terms (species, facilities, topic) by using the command + F feature on the Google sheet. There are separate tabs at the bottom to view, depending on your search criteria. The data below represents reporting year 2024, for projects ongoing in 2023-2024.
In 2024, 66 facilities reported on 186 shark and ray projects, estimating to have spent >$5 million!