This week is shark week and I want to celebrate these ancient keystone species!
Did you know that sharks are older than trees? The shark species have been in existence for over 450,000 million years while trees have been in existence for 350,000 million years. The modern human did not even enter the scene until somewhere between 550,000-750,000 years ago.
Sharks are considered keystone species in that they support and maintain the ecosystem in which they live.
Sharks are apex predators which means they prey on sick and weak fish to keep the overall marine life population healthy. Without them, the food chain and health of the ocean is thrown off balance.
Sharks also help to keep climate change in check. By eating dead matter on the ocean floor, sharks help to keep the carbon cycle moving through the ocean. Sharks and other large marine life such as whales sequester large amounts of carbon. But when sharks and other large marine life are hunted, this disrupts the ocean’s carbon cycle.
Currently, two-thirds of the shark population are threatened by climate change, over-fishing, poaching, and habitat loss.
According to National Geographic, if the world upped its marine protected areas by a mere 3%, it could save 99 of the most imperiled shark species that are top predators that keep their ecosystem in balance.
Learn more of how to help sharks at https://sharkangels.org.
Photo by Colton Jones on Unsplash
References:
https://www.dutchsharksociety.org/are-sharks-older-than-trees/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/most-fascinating-shark-discoveries-decade
https://europe.oceana.org/en/importance-sharks-0
https://www.conservation.org/blog/5-things-you-didnt-know-sharks-do-for-you
