Shark movements between islands in the Revillagigedo Archipelago and connectivity to other islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Long-distance shark movements spanning multiple Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific highlight critical gaps in conservation efforts. The study tracked 92 Galapagos sharks and silky sharks, revealing that while some sharks remained resident within a single island or MPA, others traveled extensively—including a record-breaking 3,160 km journey by a Galapagos shark from Socorro Island to Clipperton Atoll and Darwin Island. Notably, three sharks crossed between MPAs, including one silky shark that migrated between the Revillagigedo Archipelago (RA) and Clipperton Atoll (CA), then returned. These findings underscore the need for international collaboration to implement effective protection measures, such as swimways or MigraVías, to safeguard shark populations across the region.

Lara-Lizardi, F., Ketchum, J. T., Hearn, A. R., Klimley, A. P., Galván-Magaña, F., Antoniou, A., Arauz, R., Bessudo, S., Castro, E., Chávez, E. J., Clua, E. E. G., Espinoza, E., Fischer, C., Peñaherrera-Palma, C., Steiner, T., & Hoyos-Padilla, M. (2026). Shark movements between islands in the Revillagigedo Archipelago and connectivity to other islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. PLOS One, 21(2), e0341840. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0341840