Glowing sharks, electric rays and a ghost shark are among the marine species the new Search for Lost Sharks is striving to find

In celebration of the second-ever lost species month — a 31-day-long celebration hosted by Re:wild and the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Reverse the Red, Re:wild is launching the Search for Lost Sharks. The initiative is the latest born out of the Search for Lost Species, the largest ever global effort to find and protect species that have not been documented by scientists for a decade or longer, but have not been declared extinct. Lost species month raises awareness of species lost to science, as well as species that have recently been rediscovered.

“Sharks are vilified in pop culture, but the sad reality is that global shark populations have declined 70% in the past 50 years,” said Christina Biggs, lost species program officer at Re:wild. “Nearly a quarter of all described species have not been seen alive in the wild in more than 10 years and that is concerning because these creatures —with their weird and fascinating adaptations— play a vital role in the health of our ocean ecosystems.”

Together, Re:wild, Beneath The Waves, Minorities in Shark Sciences(MISS), Mission Blue, PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) AWARE, ReShark and Save our Seas Foundation will share their resources and expertise to search for the 428 shark, ray and chimera (shark-like fish found in the deep-sea) that have not been documented by scientists in at least 10 years. Members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group helped develop the global list of all lost sharks.

The Search for Lost Sharks will initially focus on searching for 10 species spread across the world. The species are:

• New Ireland stingaree (Spinilophus armatus) from Papua New Guinea (lost since 1825): This stingaree, which has a venomous spine at the tip of its tail, has only been documented once when it was originally described by science.

• Lost shark (Carcharhinus obsoletus) from Vietnam (lost since 1934): This critically endangered shark was only described as a new species in 2019 because of its uniquely shaped snout, fins and teeth, but it was described from individuals collected more than 80 years earlier.

• Crying izak catshark (Holohalaelurus melanostigma) from Tanzania (lost since 1939): This shark uses its sharp-sighted glow-in-the-dark eyes to hunt in the deep-sea darkness.

• Network wobbegong (Orectolobus reticulatus) from Australia (lost since 1939): This nocturnal shark (also sometimes called a carpet shark) lives in shallow ocean waters and camouflages itself on the seafloor waiting to ambush animals that cross its path.

• Cylindrical lantern shark (Etmopterus carteri) from Colombia (lost since 1964): This shark lives in the deep ocean and its bioluminescent organs make its belly and sides glow.

• Bahamas ghost shark (Chimaera bahamaensis) from the Bahamas (lost since 1974): This deep-sea-dwelling shark has only been documented by scientists once.

• Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon) from India (lost since 1979): A critically endangered gray and stocky shark that may also spend time in freshwater rivers. MISS, Mission Blue Hope Spot and Re:wild are collaborating on a search for the species in India.

• Red Sea torpedo ray (Torpedo suessii) from Yemen (lost since 1988): An electric ray that can stun its prey and has not been definitively documented since a deep sea exploratory expedition in 1898, but it has been seen more recently. A 2009 sighting wasn’t accompanied by photos, video or DNA evidence.

• Indonesia angelshark (Squatina legnota) from Indonesia (lost since 2004): This ray-shaped shark lives in deep ocean and was only described by science in 2008, but conservationists are worried that it is in trouble and the species is critically endangered.

• South African dwarf skate (Neoraja stehmanni) (lost since 1999): This flat-bodied cartilaginous ray lives in shallow ocean off the coast of South Africa.

Sharks and rays are among the most threatened vertebrate species in the world. Thirty-six percent of all 1,250 known species are threatened with extinction. Two species that the Search for Lost Sharks will look for —the Indonesian Angelshark and the Red Sea Torpedo Ray— are also evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) species, meaning there are few or no other species closely related to them on the planet.

“We need healthy oceans —they give us food and livelihoods, and regulate our climate,” said James Lea, chief executive officer of Save Our Seas Foundation. “And healthy oceans need sharks: they regulate prey numbers and behavior, cycle nutrients around the ocean and even help us combat climate change by being effective carbon sinks. Sharks and rays play so many roles that make our home liveable.”

The Search for Lost Sharks will join marine research projects and expeditions around the world to look for evidence of sharks, rays and chimeras that are lost to science. As part of those expeditions Search for Lost Sharks partners will leverage innovative camera platforms that have recently been used to discover several cryptic shark species and collect environmental DNA (eDNA) from seawater to screen for lost species.

“We are excited to partner with Re:wild as part of our ongoing ICONIC Oceans program which leverages the local ecological knowledge of fishing communities in data-deficient fisheries around the world,” said Jasmin Graham, president and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences. “We are excited about Re:wild's commitment to center community-driven efforts like ICONIC Oceans. When it comes to saving species we must take an all-hands-on-deck approach.”

Citizen scientists will also be able to contribute to search efforts for lost sharks, rays and chimeras. PADI AWARE, a non-profit organization that works with recreational scuba divers and supports ocean exploration and conservation projects around the world, will incorporate lost sharks, rays and chimeras into their upcoming Global Shark & Ray Census. PADI divers will be able to submit photos of shark species to the PADI AWARE database, which will then be analyzed by a team of shark experts. If any of those photos match the 428 species of lost sharks and rays, they will be shared with the Search for Lost Sharks.

Re:wild and JRS Biodiversity Foundation are working with universities in Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo to develop cohorts of researchers to search for lost sharks off of the coasts of each country.

Since 2017, working with local partners around the world, the Search for Lost Species has rediscovered 12 of its most wanted species: Jackson’s climbing salamander in Guatemala, Wallace’s giant bee in Indonesia, velvet pitcher plant in Indonesia, silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam, Somali sengi in Djibouti, Voeltzkow’s chameleon in Madagascar, Sierra Leone Crab in Sierra Leone, Pernambuco holly in Brazil, De Winton’s golden mole in South Africa, Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna in Indonesia, Fagilde’s trapdoor spider in Portugal and big puma fungus in Chile. The Search for Lost Species includes the Search for Lost Fishes, launched in 2020, the Search for Lost Birds, launched in 2021, and now the Search for Lost Sharks.

Ian Campbell, associate director of policy and campaigns, PADI AWARE
“The recreational diving community is a huge untapped source of underwater information with massive potential to collect real-time data on species such as sharks and rays. PADI has a global network of 29 million registered PADI divers and over 6,600 dive stores, the vast majority of whom are actively engaged in ocean conservation and exploration, often in remote places. Getting this community involved in this project will significantly increase the chances of finding some of these lost species.”

Austin Gallagher, founder and chief science officer, Beneath The Waves
“Several of these lost species are likely to occur in areas of the ocean that are logistically very difficult to explore, such as the deep-sea. We are excited to bring to this initiative our extensive experience using innovative technologies to highlight rarely seen shark species.”

Eric Schneider, assistant director of the Cape Eleuthera Institute and member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group
“Studying and finding rare or lost sharks poses unique challenges because of the wide variety of their habitats that they live in,” said Eric Schneider, assistant director of the Cape Eleuthera Institute and member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group. “For example, some of these deep sea species have only been encountered once ever, but they may not be of any conservation concern if they don’t live in an area with deep-water fisheries. Other species are more abundant but overlap with intense human activities and may be at serious risk of extinction.”

Ciaran Hyde, doctoral candidate, University of the Sunshine Coast and volunteer with the Search for Lost Sharks
“A small group of sharks and rays are considered ‘superstars’ and have attracted a lot of global attention, research funding and conservation efforts. This has made it easy for other, just as unique species to slip through the gaps and possibly become lost. The development of the Lost Sharks database really highlights how little we know about many sharks and rays and how high the risk is that extinctions may be occurring before we know enough to keep them safe.”

Mark Erdmann, ReShark council and member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group
“The ReShark consortium is strongly supportive of the Search for Lost Sharks, and we are optimistic that the passionate and dedicated team that has united behind this noble effort will ultimately be successful in its bid to find a number of these shark and ray species that have not been seen for the past 10 years or more. Importantly, once a lost species is rediscovered, it is likely to require significant conservation effort to safeguard and recover the remaining population. At ReShark, we look forward to contributing our expertise in innovative approaches to conservation breeding and translocations to help recover any of the Lost Shark species that may require this level of intervention.”

Illustration: A female Pondicherry shark, a species lost to science since 1979. A critically endangered gray and stocky shark that may also spend time in freshwater rivers. MISS, Mission Blue Hope Spot and Re:wild are collaborating on a search for the species in India. (Illustration by Marc Dando)

Re:wild
Re:wild protects and restores the wild. . We have a singular and powerful focus: the wild as the most effective solution to the interconnected climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing crises. Founded by a group of renowned conservation scientists together with Leonardo DiCaprio, Re:wild is a force multiplier that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed we need. Learn more at rewild.org.

Save Our Seas Foundation
Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003, the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is a philanthropic organisation whose ultimate goal is to create a legacy of securing the health and sustainability of our oceans, and the communities that depend on them, for generations to come. Its support for research, conservation and education projects worldwide focuses on endangered sharks, rays and skates. The foundation has supported more than 500 projects in over 90 countries. Three permanent SOSF research and education centres reinforce its actions in Seychelles, South Africa and the USA.

Minorities in Shark Sciences
Our MISSion is to advance the field of shark, ray and other marine sciences by challenging the status quo of underrepresentation of gender minorities from historically-excluded communities of color and the Global South and providing accessible and equitable pathways to research, conservation, and education.

Mission Blue
Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas – Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevate Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Esri ArcGIS. Currently, the Mission Blue alliance includes more than 250 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations, from large multinational companies to individual scientific teams doing important research. Additionally, Mission Blue supports the work of conservation NGOs that share the mission of building public support for ocean protection. With the concerted effort and passion of people and organizations around the world, Hope Spots can become a reality and form a global network of marine protected areas large enough to restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.

Beneath The Waves
Founded in 2013 as a non-profit organization, Beneath The Waves is dedicated to promoting ocean health and using science and technology to catalyze ocean policy. Beneath The Waves focuses on conducting research to inform the protection of threatened species, the establishment of protected areas, and creating nature-based solutions to climate change. Collaborating with governments, the general public, and the private sector to scale impact. Beneath The Waves has been at the forefront of innovative, NGO-driven shark research and has executed projects in over a dozen countries.

PADI AWARE Foundation
PADI AWARE Foundation™ is a non-profit public charity that drives global ocean conservation through local action. PADI AWARE Foundation engages divers and people everywhere to take conservation actions that heal and protect the ocean planet both above and below the surface, further elevating and supporting PADI’s vision to achieve balance between humanity and ocean. Backed by the power of the PADI® brand and supported by the world’s largest global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts and more than 128,000 professional members worldwide, PADI AWARE Foundation leverages the collective influence of divers and the dive industry to address key threats facing the marine environment including climate change, marine habitat loss and vulnerable species protection. PADI AWARE Foundation advances its mission and the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action through underwater citizen science, public policy, education and community grants. www.padiaware.org

ReShark
Launched in 2020, ReShark is an international collective of over 90 conservation organizations, aquariums and government agencies dedicated to recovering threatened sharks and rays around the world by re-establishing healthy, genetically diverse, and self-sustaining populations.