FIU-led study reveals those most affected by
fishing are most needed for healthy oceans
MIAMI, Aug. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Shark conservation must go beyond simply protecting
sharks — it must prioritize protecting the ecological roles of
sharks, according to new research published today
in Science.
The largest sharks of many of the biggest species, such as tiger
sharks and great whites, play an oversized role in healthy oceans,
but they are often the most affected by fishing. They help maintain
balance through their eating habits. Sometimes their size is enough
to scare away prey that would over-consume much-needed plant life.
Sharks also help from the bottom-up. A variety of sharks are needed
for healthy oceans, yet they are under threat from overfishing,
climate change, energy mining, shipping and more. The study, led by
Florida International University (FIU),
sheds light on what role sharks play in ocean health and why size
should be a factor in conservation decisions.
"Some of these roles are really important," said Mike Heithaus, study co-author and executive
dean of FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education. "We need
to maintain a diversity of sharks in our oceans as well as a wide
range of sizes of sharks. We need to rebuild heavily depleted
populations and manage for how sharks will function amid climate
change."
Heithaus' work in Shark Bay, Australia is the most detailed study in the
world on the ecological roles of sharks. There, he documented the
top-down roles like keeping prey in check.
"It's time to have a conversation about everything sharks are
doing to maintain ocean health so we can better prioritize
conservation efforts and have the biggest impact," said
Simon Dedman, FIU marine scientist
and co-lead author.
Sharks feed in offshore waters and bring nutrients back to the
reef. Others move nutrients that are used at the base of the food
chain. Sharks also serve as food themselves and even as scratching
posts for fish to remove parasites. But shark abundance has
plummeted by 71 percent for oceanic species in the past 50 years.
Populations of the top five reef shark species have been depleted
by 63 percent.
"This study verifies what we've long suspected – sharks are
critical to ocean health," said Lee
Crockett, executive director of the Shark Conservation Fund
which funded the study. "This landmark study serves as confirmation
that marine conservationists, philanthropists, policymakers, and
the public alike need to recognize that sharks are keystone species
that have a now-proven significant effect on marine
environments."
Shark conservation becomes all the more critical as global
temperatures increase, leading some sharks to move away from the
warming waters. As the blue economy expands, people's encounters
with sharks will likely increase. Finding a balance that protects
the sharks most needed for healthy oceans is hitting a critical
point. The scientists recommend policy to increase spatial measures
like Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management measures like
catch/size limits and gear limitations.
Media Contact:
JoAnn Adkins
305-348-0398
jadkins@fiu.edu
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/big-sharks-equal-big-impact-but-theres-a-big-problem-302212888.html
SOURCE Florida International
University