Media release
From: James Cook UniversityJCU’s Adjunct Professor Colin Simpfendorfer was part of an international team of researchers that evaluated the global extinction risk of all 134 species of shark and ray that occur on coral reefs.
He said coral reefs are one of the ecosystems most at-risk from global climate change, with sharks and rays crucial for the functioning of these ecosystems, and filling a range of ecological niches - from filter feeders to apex predators.
“We found 59% of coral reef shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened group of animals on coral reefs in the world, after marine mammals,” said Professor Simpfendorfer.
Fishing was identified as the main threat to these species, compounded by habitat loss and climate change.
“Risk is greatest for larger species that live in shallower water and are widely distributed across a number of nations, and so subject to a patchwork of management. Risk also increases for animals living in the waters of nations with greater fishing pressure and weaker governance,” said Professor Simpfendorfer.
He said the study showed the extinction risk for coral reef sharks and rays, as a percentage of threatened species, is almost double that of all 1199 known shark and ray species.
“What we need to see is immediate action through local protections, combined with broad-scale fisheries management and Marine Protected Areas. This is required to avoid extinctions and the loss of critical ecosystem function - condemning reefs to a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, limiting livelihoods and food security,” said Professor Simpfendorfer.
The study was published today in the journal Nature Communications and was supported by funding from the Shark Conservation Fund.
