Reef Sharks
19-06-2023
1 min read
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Overview:
Recently, a study carried out by over 150 researchers said that Reef sharks are disappearing — with the five most common species experiencing a decline of up to 73 per cent.
About Reef Sharks:
- They play a major role in shaping Caribbean reef communities.
- As the top predators of the reef and indicator species for marine ecosystems, they help maintain the delicate balance of marine life in reef environments.
- Habitat: Tropical waters near coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangroves.
- Species of reef sharks: The Caribbean reef shark, nurse shark, grey reef shark, blacktip reef shark and whitetip reef shark
- Threats:
- They are highly valued for their meat, leather, liver oil, and fishmeal, which make them prone to overfishing and targeting.
- They are threatened by the degradation and destruction of their coral reef habitat due to coastal development and resulting pollution.
- They are often unintentionally caught by unregulated and illegal fishing practices that cannot distinguish the reef shark from the fishers’ targeted species.
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Q1) What is Indicator species?
Indicator species are organisms that can provide information about the environmental conditions of a particular ecosystem. These species are selected based on their sensitivity to specific environmental changes, such as pollution, habitat loss, or climate change.
Source: Reef sharks ‘pushed to extinction by overfishing’, up to ‘73% decline’ in 5 common species globally