The coastal region of the Karajarri Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) on Western Australia’s northern coastline is a macrotidal environment characterised by expansive intertidal sand, mudflat, and mangrove ecosystems. Gillnet surveys carried out between 2020 and 2023 in two embayments revealed that these habitats support a high abundance and diversity of elasmobranchs and function as a nursery area. Here we present a preliminary description of this communal nursery area and report on its high social, cultural, and conservation values. Fifteen species of elasmobranchs were recorded during the surveys. At least nine appear to use the areas as a nursery (sensu Heupel et al 2007), including two threatened sawfish species (Pristis zijsron and Pristis clavata) that occurred in high abundance. The surveyed sites include areas of high cultural importance for Karajarri people, among these Panganunganjal, the site of the ‘Salmon Dreaming’. Elasmobranchs are an important, seasonally targeted fisheries resource, making a meaningful contribution to local food security. Subsequent Karajarri-led research on these species seeks to better understand the ecology of these species and inform management targets for the Karajarri IPA. We discuss the potential for culturally-informed research to contribute to meeting shared objectives relating to biodiversity conservation and marine resource management.