Benefits of Sharks

The following are not listed in any particular order.

Clean Up Crew

They work diligently as the oceans clean-up crew with most species cleaning up carcasses or hunting sick or injured prey. These are important tasks that help reduce disease by cleaning up the environment, and removing sick animals from the biome.

Indicator Species

Sharks also serve as indicator species: Where there are many sharks, you will find a healthy ecosystem. These biomes include ocean reefs and seagrass meadows.

Dangers to Sharks

The following are not listed in any particular order.

Fishing

Persecution, Fishing, and Ghost Gear

Unfortunately humans have given sharks a bad reputation, leading to intentional hunting. On top of general persecution, they also suffer from cruel practices such as finning (removing their fins while still alive an conscious, then dumping them into the ocean where they sink and die slowly). Even when they aren't specifically hunted, thousands end up tangled in fishing nets and ghost gear, which also causes slow, painful deaths.

Habitat Loss

Destruction of reefs and seagrass meadows impact sharks and many other species.

Reduce Seafood Industry Impact

The fishing industry has one of the greatest impacts on our oceans, depleting many keystone species that sharks rely on for survival, but also including sharks and their relatives.

Ghost gear from the fishing industry also overlaps with the plastic danger to sharks, as ghost gear makes up the majority of plastic pollution in some parts of the ocean. By switching to less impactful foods like kelp and seaweed, we can help sequester carbon, increasing habitat for small fish and other species in the process, instead of continuing the currently unsustainable levels of damage caused by fishing and shark hunting.

Reduce Plastic Impact

Science & Education

Misinformation and mystery surrounding sharks has led to much of their persecution, so helping the public understand the importance of sharks, can help when it comes to gaining legal protections and law enforcement that can help protect these wonderful creatures.

Citizen Science

Citizen science allows the public (including children) to engage in science on a practical level. This can expand their understanding about important subjects, and help scientists, universities, and other organizations to gather data in order to (in this case) help sharks or even advocate for new laws to protect them. 

Community & Farm-Scale Infrastructure

Shark-Friendly Rooftops

Citizen Science Projects

Explore existing citizen science projects in this section or click the Citizen Science Projects button to see a larger directory including sharks and many other topics.

Shark Trust 🦈projects include: 

• Angling Project 🎣 🦈 "Depending on where you’re fishing, around 20 species of shark, skate and ray might be encountered by sea-anglers in the UK and Ireland. The aim of this project is to ensure this fantastic diversity remains for future generations of anglers."

• Basking Shark Project ✏️ 🦈🔭 "You can help us learn more about these gentle giants by being on the look-out for them during May-October (Basking Shark Season). And, if you spot one, by recording your sighting on our Shark Sightings Database.
  
  Today, Basking Sharks are one of the most widely protected and managed sharks in UK and EU waters. Yet, surprisingly little is known about them. Partly because of the difficulty in conducting field research."

• Great Eggcase Hunt 🦈🥚 "You can become a citizen scientist by helping us find and record shark eggcases"

• Shark and Ray Entanglement Network 🦈 🥅"Plastic pollution affects a variety of marine species including turtles, cetaceans and seals. But little is known about the susceptibility of sharks and rays to this threat."
  
  "The project aims to identify:

  • Species that may be more at risk.

  • Global entanglement hotspots in the world’s oceans.

  • Types of marine debris affecting sharks and rays."

• Shark Sightings Database ✏️ 🦈🔭 "Our Shark Sightings Database was launched in 2008. It enables individuals and organisations anywhere in the world to record their shark sightings online. The information recorded provides a key resource for shark conservation."

International

• Sea Shepherd their "sole mission is to protect and conserve the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. We work to defend all marine wildlife, from whales and dolphins, to sharks and rays, to fish and krill, without exception."

• Shark Trust "We work globally to improve the conservation status of sharks, skates and rays. Advocating for policy changes. And generating collective action to support our goals. Explore our projects..."

The following buttons are to directories that may offer some overlapping organizations and projects.

Africa

South Africa

• South African Shark Conservancy "works alongside government, industry, academia, and eNGO sectors to co-develop sustainable management approaches and conservation objectives for sharks, their relatives and coastal ocean ecosystems."