Elasmobranch research in the Mediterranean Sea: What is known, what is not, how it changed, and where it needs to go

Abstract

The analysis of 1212 research contributions across 22 coastal states offers insights into how Mediterranean countries contributed to knowledge on elasmobranchs in the period between 1932 and 2020. During this time, research on elasmobranch species has steadily increased, yet research efforts across countries varied, with European Union (EU) Member States generally being involved in more publications than other countries in the region. The consideration of elasmobranchs in international law and regional frameworks seems to have driven this growth, and more researchers started to focus on these species. A total of 301 Mediterranean entities, mostly universities (44.5 %), contributed to research on elasmobranchs regionally, with 95 of them having published regularly. A trend in the application of non-lethal methods was noted, although fisheries-dependent data remains an important source of information. Research on the biology, ecology, taxonomy, pollution (contamination), and the fishing of elasmobranchs have been consistent subjects in this field, while other topics such as ‘conservation and management measures’ and ‘shark meat trade and consumption’ have increased in recent years. However, gaps in knowledge on policy implementation and important areas remain.