REVIEWS Anthropogenic stressors influence reproduction and development in elasmobranch fishes Carolyn R. Wheeler . Connor R. Gervais . Martijn S. Johnson . Shelby Vance . Rui Rosa . John W. Mandelman . Jodie L. Rummer Received: 16 August 2019 / Accepted: 5 May 2020 Ó Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 Abstract The consequences of human influence can arise in vertebrates as primary, secondary, or even tertiary stressors and may be especially detrimental for slow growing species with long generation times (i.e., K-selected species). Here, we review the impacts of both direct and indirect human interactions on the reproductive biology of elasmobranchs. Within direct human influence, capture-induced stress from fisheries bycatch and poor coastal management practices lead- ing to habitat destruction and pollution are among the most impactful on elasmobranch reproduction. Cap- ture-induced stress has been shown to negatively influence offspring and reproductive capacity via capture-induced parturition as well as by disrupting the reproductive physiology of adults. Habitat degra- dation impacts essential ecosystems that are necessary for the development of young elasmobranchs. Pollu- tants such as heavy metals, legacy pesticides, and flame retardants have been traced through elasmo- branch reproduction; however, the long-term effects of these exogenous chemicals are yet to be deter- mined. Furthermore, within indirect human impacts, climate change-mediated influences (e.g., ocean warming and acidification) can impact development, Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-020-09604-0) con- tains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. C. R. Wheeler (&) Á M. S. Johnson Á J. L. Rummer ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia e-mail: carolyn.wheeler23@gmail.com C. R. Wheeler Á S. Vance Á J. W. Mandelman Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA 02110, USA C. R. Wheeler Á J. W. Mandelman School for the Environment, The University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA C. R. Gervais Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia R. Rosa MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laborato ´rio Marı ´timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cie ˆncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal 123 Rev Fish Biol Fisheries https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-020-09604-0