Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks

M Aaron MacNeil; Demian D Chapman; Michelle Heupel; Colin A Simpfendorfer; Michael Heithaus; Mark Meekan; Euan Harvey; Jordan Goetze; Jeremy Kiszka; Mark E Bond; Leanne M Currey-Randall; Conrad W Speed; C Samantha Sherman; Matthew J Rees; Vinay Udyawer; Kathryn I Flowers; Gina Clementi; Jasmine Valentin-Albanese; Taylor Gorham; M Shiham Adam; Khadeeja Ali; Fabián Pina-Amargós; Jorge A Angulo-Valdés; Jacob Asher; Laura García Barcia; Océane Beaufort; Cecilie Benjamin; Anthony T F Bernard; Michael L Berumen; Stacy Bierwagen; Erika Bonnema; Rosalind M K Bown; Darcy Bradley; Edd Brooks; J Jed Brown; Dayne Buddo; Patrick Burke; Camila Cáceres; Diego Cardeñosa; Jeffrey C Carrier; Jennifer E Caselle; Venkatesh Charloo; Thomas Claverie; Eric Clua; Jesse E M Cochran; Neil Cook; Jessica Cramp; Brooke D'Alberto; Martin de Graaf; Mareike Dornhege; Andy Estep; Lanya Fanovich; Naomi F Farabaugh; Daniel Fernando; Anna L Flam; Camilla Floros; Virginia Fourqurean; Ricardo Garla; Kirk Gastrich; Lachlan George; Rory Graham; Tristan Guttridge; Royale S Hardenstine; Stephen Heck; Aaron C Henderson; Heidi Hertler; Robert Hueter; Mohini Johnson; Stacy Jupiter; Devanshi Kasana; Steven T Kessel; Benedict Kiilu; Taratu Kirata; Baraka Kuguru; Fabian Kyne; Tim Langlois; Elodie J I Lédée; Steve Lindfield; Andrea Luna-Acosta; Jade Maggs; B Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto; Andrea Marshall; Philip Matich; Erin McCombs; Dianne McLean; Llewelyn Meggs; Stephen Moore; Sushmita Mukherji; Ryan Murray; Muslimin Kaimuddin; Stephen J Newman; Josep Nogués; Clay Obota; Owen O'Shea; Kennedy Osuka; Yannis P Papastamatiou; Nishan Perera; Bradley Peterson; Alessandro Ponzo; Andhika Prasetyo; L M Sjamsul Quamar; Jessica Quinlan; Alexei Ruiz-Abierno; Enric Sala; Melita Samoilys; Michelle Schärer-Umpierre; Audrey Schlaff; Nikola Simpson; Adam N H Smith; Lauren Sparks; Akshay Tanna; Rubén Torres; Michael J Travers; Maurits van Zinnicq Bergmann; Laurent Vigliola; Juney Ward; Alexandra M Watts; Colin Wen; Elizabeth Whitman; Aaron J Wirsing; Aljoscha Wothke; Esteban Zarza-Gonzâlez; Joshua E Cinner

doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2519-y

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Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks

M Aaron MacNeil, Demian D Chapman, Michelle Heupel, Colin A Simpfendorfer, Michael Heithaus, Mark Meekan, Euan Harvey, Jordan Goetze, Jeremy Kiszka, Mark E Bond, …

Nature (London), Vol.583(7818), pp.801-806

30/07/2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2519-y

PMID: 32699418

Abstract

Animals

Conservation of Natural Resources - statistics & numerical data

Coral Reefs

Ecosystem

Fisheries - economics

Fisheries - statistics & numerical data

Geographic Mapping

Population Density

Sharks - physiology

Socioeconomic Factors

Decades of overexploitation have devastated shark populations, leaving considerable doubt as to their ecological status . Yet much of what is known about sharks has been inferred from catch records in industrial fisheries, whereas far less information is available about sharks that live in coastal habitats . Here we address this knowledge gap using data from more than 15,000 standardized baited remote underwater video stations that were deployed on 371 reefs in 58 nations to estimate the conservation status of reef sharks globally. Our results reveal the profound impact that fishing has had on reef shark populations: we observed no sharks on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs. Reef sharks were almost completely absent from reefs in several nations, and shark depletion was strongly related to socio-economic conditions such as the size and proximity of the nearest market, poor governance and the density of the human population. However, opportunities for the conservation of reef sharks remain: shark sanctuaries, closed areas, catch limits and an absence of gillnets and longlines were associated with a substantially higher relative abundance of reef sharks. These results reveal several policy pathways for the restoration and management of reef shark populations, from direct top-down management of fishing to indirect improvement of governance conditions. Reef shark populations will only have a high chance of recovery by engaging key socio-economic aspects of tropical fisheries.

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Title: Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks
Creators - without role: M Aaron MacNeil - Dalhousie University
Demian D Chapman - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Michelle Heupel - Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Colin A Simpfendorfer - James Cook University
Michael Heithaus - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Mark Meekan - University of Western Australia
Euan Harvey - Curtin University
Jordan Goetze - Wildlife Conservation Society
Jeremy Kiszka - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Mark E Bond - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Leanne M Currey-Randall - Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Conrad W Speed - University of Western Australia
C Samantha Sherman - James Cook University
Matthew J Rees - University of Wollongong
Vinay Udyawer - Northern (Arctic) Federal University
Kathryn I Flowers - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Gina Clementi - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Jasmine Valentin-Albanese - Stony Brook University
Taylor Gorham - Dalhousie University
M Shiham Adam - International Pole and Line Foundation
Khadeeja Ali - Maldives Marine Research Institute, Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, Malé, Maldives
Fabián Pina-Amargós - Centro de Investigaciones de Ecosistemas Costeros
Jorge A Angulo-Valdés - Eckerd College
Jacob Asher - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Laura García Barcia - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Océane Beaufort - Kap Natirel
Cecilie Benjamin - Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Centre, Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
Anthony T F Bernard - Rhodes University
Michael L Berumen - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Stacy Bierwagen - James Cook University
Erika Bonnema - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Rosalind M K Bown - Blue Resources Trust
Darcy Bradley - University of California, Santa Barbara
Edd Brooks - Cape Eleuthera Institute
J Jed Brown - Qatar University
Dayne Buddo - University of the West Indies, Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, Discovery Bay, Jamaica
Patrick Burke - Macquarie University
Camila Cáceres - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Diego Cardeñosa - Stony Brook University
Jeffrey C Carrier - Albion College
Jennifer E Caselle - University of California, Santa Barbara
Venkatesh Charloo - Coastal Impact
Thomas Claverie - Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation
Eric Clua - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
Jesse E M Cochran - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Neil Cook - Cardiff University
Jessica Cramp - Sharks Pacific
Brooke D'Alberto - James Cook University
Martin de Graaf - Wageningen University & Research
Mareike Dornhege - Sophia University
Andy Estep - Waitt Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
Lanya Fanovich - Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville
Naomi F Farabaugh - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Daniel Fernando - Blue Resources Trust
Anna L Flam - Marine Megafauna Foundation
Camilla Floros - South African Association for Marine Biological Research
Virginia Fourqurean - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Ricardo Garla - Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Kirk Gastrich - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Lachlan George - James Cook University
Rory Graham - Independent consultant, Hull, UK
Tristan Guttridge - Saving the Blue
Royale S Hardenstine - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Stephen Heck - Stony Brook University
Aaron C Henderson - School for Field Studies
Heidi Hertler - School for Field Studies
Robert Hueter - Mote Marine Laboratory
Mohini Johnson - Operation Wallacea
Stacy Jupiter - Wildlife Conservation Society
Devanshi Kasana - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Steven T Kessel - Shedd Aquarium
Benedict Kiilu - Kenya Fisheries Service
Taratu Kirata - Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Development, Kiritimati, Kiribati
Baraka Kuguru - Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute
Fabian Kyne - University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Tim Langlois - University of Western Australia
Elodie J I Lédée - Carleton University
Steve Lindfield - Coral Reef Research Foundation, Koror, Palau
Andrea Luna-Acosta - Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Jade Maggs - National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
B Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto - Universiti of Malaysia Sabah
Andrea Marshall - Marine Megafauna Foundation
Philip Matich - Texas A&M University at Galveston
Erin McCombs - Aquarium of the Pacific
Dianne McLean - University of Western Australia
Llewelyn Meggs - Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Stephen Moore - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, Parks & Wildlife WA, Pilbara Region, Nickol, Western Australia, Australia
Sushmita Mukherji - James Cook University
Ryan Murray - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Muslimin Kaimuddin - Wasage Divers
Stephen J Newman - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Josep Nogués - Island Conservation Society
Clay Obota - CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
Owen O'Shea - Centre for Ocean Research and Education
Kennedy Osuka - Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
Yannis P Papastamatiou - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Nishan Perera - Blue Resources Trust
Bradley Peterson - Stony Brook University
Alessandro Ponzo - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Andhika Prasetyo - Center for Fisheries Research, Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Jakarta Utara, Indonesia
L M Sjamsul Quamar - Universitas Dayanu Ikhsanuddin
Jessica Quinlan - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Alexei Ruiz-Abierno - CIUDAD
Enric Sala - National Geographic Society
Melita Samoilys - University of Oxford
Michelle Schärer-Umpierre - HJR Reefscaping
Audrey Schlaff - James Cook University
Nikola Simpson - SalvageBlue
Adam N H Smith - Massey University
Lauren Sparks - Indo Ocean Project, PT Nomads Diving Bali, Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Akshay Tanna - Manchester Metropolitan University
Rubén Torres - Reef Check Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Michael J Travers - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Maurits van Zinnicq Bergmann - Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation
Laurent Vigliola - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD-UR-UNC-CNRS-IFREMER), Nouméa, New Caledonia
Juney Ward - Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Alexandra M Watts - Manchester Metropolitan University
Colin Wen - Tunghai University
Elizabeth Whitman - Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
Aaron J Wirsing - University of Washington
Aljoscha Wothke - Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville
Esteban Zarza-Gonzâlez - Universidad del Sinú
Joshua E Cinner - James Cook University
Publication Details: Nature (London), Vol.583(7818), pp.801-806
Identifiers: 9941851008331
Academic Unit: King Abdullah University of Science & Technology
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article