Biscayne Bay and other South Florida locations have been included in an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) map of important shark and ray habitats. The project covers more than 1,000 locations worldwide; the designations do not create fishing rules or other restrictions.
Research documented the bay as a nursery for 13 shark and ray species, eight of them listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. The map also identifies Whitewater Bay and waters from Ponce Inlet to west of Flamingo as sawfish pupping grounds, and Tavernier Key as a refuge for white-spotted eagle rays.
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