Healthy shark populations also support communities whose livelihoods depend on local shark species for food and ecotourism.Īmazing predators, sharks have evolved over thousands of years to become one of the most powerful creatures in the sea. One study also found that seagrass ecosystems without sharks were less resilient to climate change, and it is likely that sharks play similar roles worldwide. With fewer herbivores, macroalgae would expand and overpower the coral, affecting the health and survival of the reef system. As sharks continue to be studied, we are learning more and more about the critical role they may play in ocean ecosystems.Ĭrucially for seagrass and coral reef habitats, they help to regulate the populations of other predatory fish, like groupers, who would otherwise exist in abundance, and feed on the herbivores who feed on the macroalgae. Each has unique characteristics and behaviours. There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the oceans today, which are split across eight orders: Carcharhiniformes Hederodotiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes and Squatiniformes.
