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SEATTLE, July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

-- Global FinPrint, a Paul G. Allen Family Foundation initiative, finds that

hope remains if key conservation measures are employed

A new landmark study published today in Nature (

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2519-y ) reveals sharks are absent

on many of the world's coral reefs, indicating they are too rare to fulfill

their normal role in the ecosystem, and have become "functionally extinct." Of

the 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, sharks were not observed on nearly 20

percent, indicating a widespread decline that has gone undocumented on this

scale until now. The survey also identified conservation measures that could

lead to recovery of these iconic predators.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1216375/GlobalFinPrint.jpg

Essentially no sharks were detected on any of the reefs of six nations: the

Dominican Republic, the French West Indies, Kenya, Vietnam, the Windward Dutch

Antilles and Qatar. Among these, a total of only three sharks were observed on

more than 800 survey hours.

"While Global FinPrint results exposed a tragic loss of sharks from many of the

world's reefs, it also shows us signs of hope," said Jody Allen, co-founder and

chair of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. "The data collected from the

first-ever worldwide survey of sharks on coral reefs can guide meaningful,

long-term conservation plans for protecting the reef sharks that remain."

This benchmark for the status of reef sharks around the world reveals an

alarming global loss of these iconic species that are important food resources,

tourism attractions, and top predators on coral reefs. Their loss is due in

large part to overfishing of sharks, with the single largest contributor being

destructive fishing practices, such as the use of longlines and gillnets.

"Although our study shows substantial negative human impacts on reef shark

populations, it's clear the central problem exists in the intersection between

high human population densities, destructive fishing practices, and poor

governance," said Dr. Demian Chapman, Global FinPrint co-lead and Associate

Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment

at Florida International University. "We found that robust shark populations

can exist alongside people when those people have the will, the means, and a

plan to take conservation action."

The study revealed several countries where shark conservation is working and

the specific actions that can work. The best performing nations compared to the

average of their region included Australia, the Bahamas, the Federated States

of Micronesia, French Polynesia, the Maldives, and the United States. These

nations reflect key attributes that were found to be associated with higher

populations of sharks: being generally well-governed, and either banning all

shark fishing or having strong, science-based management limiting how many

sharks can be caught.

"These nations are seeing more sharks in their waters because they have

demonstrated good governance on this issue," said Dr. Aaron MacNeil, lead

author of the Global FinPrint study and Associate Professor at Dalhousie

University. "From restricting certain gear types and setting catch limits, to

national-scale bans on catches and trade, we now have a clear picture of what

can be done to limit catches of reef sharks throughout the tropics."

The FinPrint team is wrestling with the fact that conservation action on sharks

alone can only go so far. Researchers are now looking at whether recovery of

shark populations requires management of the wider ecosystem to ensure there

are enough reef fish to feed these predators.

"Now that the survey is complete, we are also investigating how the loss of

sharks can destabilize reef ecosystems," said Dr. Mike Heithaus, Global

FinPrint co-lead and Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education at

Florida International University. "At a time when corals are struggling to

survive in a changing climate, losing reef sharks could have dire long-term

consequences for entire reef systems."

Launched in the summer of 2015, Global FinPrint's data were generated from

baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) that consist of a video camera

placed in front of a standard amount of bait -- a "Chum Cam." Coral reef

ecosystems were surveyed with BRUVS in four key geographic regions: The

Indo-Pacific, Pacific, the Western Atlantic and the Western Indian Ocean.

Over the course of four years, the team captured and analyzed more than 15,000

hours of video from surveys of 371 reefs in 58 countries, states and

territories around the world. The work was conducted by hundreds of scientists,

researchers, and conservationists organized by a network of collaborators from

Florida International University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science,

Curtin University, Dalhousie University, and James Cook University.

For more information, visit: https://globalfinprint.org.

About Global FinPrint

Global FinPrint is an initiative of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and led

by Florida International University, supported by a global coalition of partner

organizations spanning researchers, funders and conservation groups. The

project represents the single largest and most comprehensive data-collection

and analysis program of the world's populations of reef-associated sharks and

rays ever compiled.

About the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

For more than four decades the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has focused on

changing the trajectory of some of the world's toughest problems. Founded by

philanthropists Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft,

the foundation supports a global portfolio of frontline partners working to

preserve ocean health, protect wildlife, combat climate change, and strengthen

communities. The foundation invests in grantees to leverage technology, fill

data and science gaps, and drive positive public policy to advance knowledge

and enable lasting change.

About Florida International University

Florida International University is Miami's public research university, focused

on student success. According to U.S. News and World Report, FIU has 42 top-50

rankings in the nation among public universities. FIU is a top U.S. research

university (R1), with more than $200 million in annual expenditures. FIU ranks

15th in the nation among public universities for patent production, which

drives innovation, and is one of the institutions that helps make Florida the

top state for higher education.  

CONTACT:

press@pgafamilyfoundation.com

SOURCE: Paul G. Allen Family Foundation