A major project aims to shed new light on two of the country's least understood and vulnerable marine species - tope sharks and undulate rays.
The animals have been recorded around the English coast for decades, but relatively little is known about where they reproduce or how they move between different areas.
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"> Rays of tope initiative aims to address that by investigating where the animals breed and reproduce, and if there are particular characteristics they look for when choosing a location.
Through a series of activities over the next three years, the hope is to build sufficient evidence about them to enable better-informed decisions that support both healthy fish populations, sustainable fisheries and thriving coastal communities.
The project - supported with a grant of almost £790,000, announced by Natural England - is being led by marine scientists from the University of Plymouth, working alongside fishers, conservation organisations and fisheries managers.
The partners include Natural England, the Angling Trust, the Shark Trust, Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA), Sussex IFCA, Devon & Severn IFCA, Cornwall IFCA, Isles of Scilly IFCA, the Association of IFCAs, and Masterplan Offshore.
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