Reef Sharks

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