Sharks 'functionally extinct' on World's coral reefs
The first ever comprehensive global survey of sharks on coral reefs has shockingly revealed that sharks have been found to be 'functionally extinct' on one in five of the reefs surveyed.
That means that although sharks may be found on those reefs, they are no longer playing their normal essential role in the ecosystem.
Out of 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, sharks were alarmingly a rare sight on almost 20 per cent of those reefs.
And to make matters worse almost no sharks were found on any of the 69 reefs of six nations: the Dominican Republic, the French West Indies, Kenya, Vietnam, the Windward Dutch Antilles and Qatar. Only three were spotted over a period of 800 hours of survey.
The news, which was announced by James Cook University, who took part in the study, which was published in Nature by the Global FinPrint organisation.
Jody Allen, co-founder and chair of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation which backs the Global FinPrint organisation, said the results showed a tragic loss of sharks from many of the world's reefs, but that there was also a glimmer of hope if actions were taken. And that these results could help influence that action.
She said: "The data collected can guide meaningful, long-term conservation plans for protecting the reef sharks that remain."
