"A massive new survey of nearly 400 reefs around the world found five key shark species are in serious decline."
"A massive new survey of nearly 400 coral reefs around the world reveals sharks once common in those waters are vanishing, a troubling sign that the fearsome fish are at a much greater risk of going extinct than previously thought.
Populations of five common reef sharks have endured staggering declines of between 60 percent to 73 percent over the past half-century, a team of 150 researchers report in the journal Science on Thursday.
“It’s absolutely jaw-dropping,” said David Shiffman, a marine biologist at Arizona State University not involved in the survey work. “And it’s telling that if you look at all the reef sharks at all the reefs everywhere, you get a very similar pattern.”
The results add to fears about not only the loss of these apex predators, but also of the effects on fish down the food chain and coastal communities that depend on vibrant marine ecosystems for protein."
Dino Grandoni reports for the Washington Post June 15, 2023.
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