WHY WE NEED SHARKS
Although not seen from land, the ocean is the key to human survival and sharks are absolutely tied to that survival as well as overall health of our oceans.
For those that refuse to take a second look, sharks are mindless man-eaters, hell bent on stealing a fishermen’s catch. However, the truth is that we need sharks to maintain healthy oceans and keep coastal ecosystems thriving.
It’s true that sharks are highly specialized ocean predators, after all they’ve survived and evolved over millions of years; sharks are even older than trees! Hundreds of species, all different shapes and sizes from the biggest fish in the world to the smallest deep sea hunters- all important, all needed. So let's break down 5 Reasons We Need Sharks!
1. Sharks ensure ocean habitats thrive!
Sharks are often referred to as guardians, or in the case of Hawaii and other island nations around the world, as respected Gods. It’s not hard to understand why as shark behavior can warn of incoming storms and their presence can indicate the health of some of the ocean’s most important habitats: coral reefs, kelp forests, and seagrass meadows.
Sharks prey on the weak, sick or overabundant animals—including fish, marine mammals, and other ocean life. This natural population control prevents any one species population from growing too large and possibly throwing an ecosystem out of balance; keeping the balance with prey and other competitors alike ensures species diversity.
Sharks impact their prey’s spatial habitat, which in turn alters the feeding strategy and diets of other species. Sharks indirectly prevent overgrazing of areas by the fish and invertebrates feeding on seagrasses or particular areas on the reef; this is a major reason why sharks are a indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
Sylvia Earle says it best:
"Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you're lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you're in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don't see sharks."
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2. Sharks support economies both directly and indirectly!
Sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem by maintaining species below them in the food chain which directly impacts human seafood industries/fisheries. For example: the Scallop fishing industry and the cownose ray, found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Due to the area now having fewer sharks the cownose ray population has increased and, in turn, veritably wiped out North Carolina’s bay scallop fishing industry. Now these rays are targeted by hunters in an effort to reestablish the once thriving scallop beds.
In addition to local fisheries, protecting shark populations means more money for local economies through tourism. In many parts of the world, people travel specifically for a chance to see sharks in their natural habitat which supports ocean-related businesses: diving, snorkeling, ecotours, etc. These eco-experiences generate millions of dollars annually for local communities as well as help build awareness for and leverage support for a healthy ocean.
Global shark tourism alone is a billion dollar industry without costing habitat loss or negative impacts to shark species whereas fisheries generate around 20 million in annual revenue at the cost of severe habitat destruction and shark population decimation- damage that collapses entire ecosystems for generations, if not forever.
When you add shark-diving revenue to the additional millions in revenue for eco programs such as whale watching tours, turtle programs, manta ray watching, migration events like the sardine run, coral reef/marine national sanctuary tourism, etc. that means enormous economic gain and a more healthy ocean overall! But all those programs and experiences rely on the success or failure of how we protect sharks and other marine life.
Of the 24 shark species most commonly encountered by divers on organized trips, 83% appear on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species mainly due to excessive fishing, and 54% are preferred species for shark fin soup. (SharkAllies.org)
How do we go about safeguarding these marine habitats for all to enjoy? Helpfully, the same dive operators who run ecotours often participate in citizen science programs or partner with scientists to collect important data on shark behaviors, population and gather habitat research. Research that helps establish more marine protected areas as well as policy to protect species and entire regions.
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3. Sharks are inspiring the future!
There's lots to learn from sharks as they’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years. For example, engineers study sharks for ways to move more efficiently in the water. By mimicking their skin, we can create everything from a sleeker swimsuits, to barnacle-proof ship hulls, and even bacteria-resistant surfaces in hospitals!
Scientists are also studying a shark liver enzyme called squalamine, a natural antiviral, as part of research into treatments for things like cystic fibrosis, dengue fever, and hepatitis C.
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4. Shark's play an atmospheric role!
When sharks scavenge off dead and decaying prey, they’re actually helping move the build up of carbon through the ocean, rather than having it accumulate to release into the atmosphere.
In the ocean, sharks eat decaying animals and through ingesting these tissues help in converting and dispersing (yep, we’re talking poop) the decomposition process and turning it into food for other organisms (i.e. reef invertebrates, trees in a mangrove, over seagrass. etc) that convert this carbon and nitrogen from the original dead carcass fed on by the shark effectively into oxygen for all (that means humans too!).
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5. Sharks help strengthen fish genetics!
As sharks prey on the weak, sick, or aging individuals they remove those individuals less likely to survive and reproduce which can also help prevent the spread of disease and genetic defects within schools of fish. Without sharks, unhealthy or disease-prone fish could multiply unchecked, weakening the population as a whole and disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.
Interestingly, scientists have recorded an unexpected benefit of this predator-prey dynamic whereby fish fleeing from sharks may shed parasites as their scales rub together or hit against other surfaces like reef rock. The ridding of parasites helps infected fish as those parasites can lead stress and a weaker immune system.
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These are only a few reasons why we need sharks in our oceans. Their health and future directly impacts the over health of our oceans and in turn human communities as well. Learn more about sharks and how to help them, in our TURNING THE TIDE or ACTION HQ tabs below.
