Sharks include an extremely diverse group of cartilaginous fishes that number over 350 species worldwide. A recent period of rapid growth in the fisheries began in the early 1980s and continues to the present day. Sharks are targets of recreational, large-scale industrial, and artisanal (non-industrial) fisheries. Despite their economic value, many aspects of shark biology, ecology and population dynamics are very poorly understood. Extraordinary low fecundity, long gestation periods (up to two years), sperm storage, sex-specific segregations, and other life history attributes limit the ability of shark populations to sustain removals. Consequently, depletion of shark resources has become problematic in some jurisdictions. Conversely, preliminary evidence indicates that some species have increased in abundance or shifted in geographic distribution in the North Pacific in response to recent climate regime shifts. The ecosystem effects of shark population changes are highly uncertain owing to the wide breadth of trophic levels occupied by sharks, which feed on diverse taxa ranging from plankton to apex predators, such as marine mammals and even other sharks. This session will examine the potentially critical role of sharks in structuring marine ecosystems of the North Pacific, by examining the consequences of their life history traits such as reproduction, ecology (including predator/prey relationships), and shark population responses to climate change, and commercial removals. A special issue of a primary journal may be produced from the papers presented at this session if there is sufficient interest. Please indicate your interest in submitting a full manuscript when you submit your abstract.