Background The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. In addition to its global conservation programs across 60 countries, WCS manages five zoos, including the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Aquarium. WCS’s Marine Conservation Program works in over 20 countries and all five oceans to protect key marine habitats and marine wildlife, to end overfishing, and to protect key species groups, including marine mammals, sharks and rays, and corals, as well as to inspire an ocean constituency. WCS has made an institutional commitment to the conservation of sharks and rays globally, and to raise awareness on need to protect these species. WCS includes sharks and rays as on