Let Me Explain Why You Should Care About Sharks
Sharks are the apex predators of the ocean. Basically, they keep the entire sea in line! If it weren’t for them, the entire marine ecosystem would be unbalanced and wouldn’t provide the food that us humans need to survive. Without sharks, our coral reefs could die off, some ocean species could die off, and some could get too big.
Here’s Why I Love Sharks
You’ve probably learned most of what you know about sharks from shows like “Jaws.” But sharks aren’t all scary! We need them to live. Here’s why.
Healthy Sharks = Healthy Ecosystem
Did you know that a healthy shark population keeps the entire ocean safe? That’s because sharks are the apex predators of the sea, and they regulate life in the ecosystem by keeping other marine life in balance. Without them, mesopredators (those are the animals lower on the food chain) would eat all the fish that eat all the algae, the algae would grow out of balance, and that algae would kill the coral reefs, which are the habitats for many animals in the ocean.
In other words, the entire ecosystem would collapse.
Sharks Have Been Around For a Really Long Time!
They’re amazing creatures that have survived for over 400 million years.
They’re Worth More Alive Than Dead
In some areas where tourists flock to diving excursions, a single reef shark can bring in $179,000 in tourism revenue annually, or about $1.9 million during the shark’s lifetime. That’s a lot of cash for one shark! However, a single shark fin sold for shark fin soup sells for $108. See the difference?
Sharks Help Humans
We rely on sharks and we don’t even know it! Sharks sit atop the ocean food chain and keep the seas healthy and balanced. Those same oceans absorb much of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere and convert over 50 percent of it to the oxygen we breathe. Plus, the oceans supply us with much of the food we eat.
Shark Finning Is Terrible and Mean
This isn’t nice to read about, but it’s true. To get shark fins for shark fin soup, the shark’s fin is cut off with a hot blade while the shark is still alive. Then, they throw the live shark — without its fin — back into the ocean, where the shark either drowns or bleeds to death. This is a terrible act of animal cruelty and we can’t ignore it.