Sharks are disappearing from coral reefs, study says
Sharks are now "functionally extinct" in 20% of the world's reefs, the study found.
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A shark feeds near a reef in French Polynesia.
Sharks are now nearly extinct in about one in five coral reefs around the world, according to a study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
The study from the Global FinPrint organization examined 371 reefs in 58 countries, and found that sharks were "functionally extinct" in about 20% of them. That means while you might still see sharks in those reefs, "they are not playing their normal role in the ecosystem," study co-author Colin Simpfendorfer, a professor at James Cook University in Australia, said in a release.
The researchers surveyed the reefs using data from more than 15,000 baited remote underwater video stations to determine how reef sharks were faring globally. In six nations that are home to 69 reefs -- the Dominican Republic, the French West Indies, Kenya, Vietnam, the Windward Dutch Antilles and Qatar -- almost no sharks were observed during more than 800 hours of video surveying.
The decrease in reef shark populations is caused by the combination of high human population densities, destructive fishing policies and poor governance, the study found. Nations that the study showed were best at protecting shark populations -- such as Australia, French Polynesia and the US -- typically have shark sanctuaries, and either ban all shark fishing or have science-based limitations on how many sharks can be caught, it found.
"We found that robust shark populations can exist alongside people when those people have the will, the means, and a plan to take conservation action," said study-coauthor Demian Chapman, Global FinPrint co-lead and professor at Florida International University.
