In the shallows of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, a bold conservation experiment is underway—one that blends marine biology, local stewardship, and international collaboration in an effort to bring a species back from the brink. It’s called ReShark, and it represents the world’s first attempt to rewild an endangered shark. Working alongside the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, Conservation International, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and 105 partner institutions across 20 countries, the Re:wild-led initiative aims to restore populations of the Indo-Pacific leopard shark—also known as the zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)—to reefs where the species has all but disappeared. “This is something that’s been done for decades on land—think California condors or wolves in Yellowstone,” said Mark Erdmann, Executive Director of ReShark and Shark Conservation Director at Re:wild, former Vice President of Asia-Pacific marine programs at Conservation International, and one of the architects of the project. “But in the ocean, and especially with sharks, this is a first.” An adult leopard shark at the North Stradbroke Island summer aggregation site in Australia. Photo by MV Erdmann Indonesia Program Manager Nesha Ichida, Erdmann and the RARCC Shark Nannies release a pup at Kri Island as students from Child Aid Papua look on. Photo by Luca Vaime/Indo-Pacific Films. Erin Meyer, co-chair of the StAR Steering Committee and a founding member of ReShark, said the idea initially seemed far-fetched to some: breeding sharks in captivity, transporting their eggs overseas, rearing them in custom-built nurseries, and eventually releasing them into the wild. “Thanks to the passion…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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