Abstract: Across the globe, shark population numbers have begun to decrease at a rapid rate due to reasons such as bycatch and finning to use in delicacies such as shark fin soup. With this decline, concerns surrounding whether these reef communities can continue to be healthy or if the decline in sharks could end up being the downfall of several of these communities are increasing. With these concerns in mind, the question of whether sharks should be considered a keystone species or not is one that begins to arise one side of the argument says that they should be considered a keystone species since past research has shown that removal of sharks from coral reef communities have caused negative impacts on several reefs. On the other hand, there …show more content…
(1993), a keystone species is described as a species whose number and activity directly affect the structure of a community. There can be various interpretations based on this definition, causing a large expanse of confusion and discussion on this topic. Considering that in some communities there aren’t just keystone species within an ecosystem, but also keystone predators and keystone prey, confusion has begun to arise. A keystone predator is considered a species that controls the density of different primary consumers and producers. A keystone prey is a species that are preferred by other higher up species that stays abundant even with being eaten and the decrease in this species will cause their predator to move to another prey. With countless definitions and numerous different species being a part of these communities, there is a large amount of debate regarding each species and whether they should be considered an overall keystone species. Before deciding whether sharks should be considered a keystone species or not, one must consider the roles that sharks play within their communities. Within a coral reef system, sharks play a large role within the food …show more content…
These decreasing numbers could end up affecting the surrounding communities and in turn cause major ecosystem collapses in oceans across the globe. If sharks are determined to not be keystone species within certain communities or are not prevalent within these areas, then changes in these ecosystems may still be viewed. An effect on one community could in turn cause effects to numerous other communities around the world Conclusion/Perspectives: When looking at the community of today, some may perceive sharks as just another marine organism within reef communities. Others may view them as a driving factor of these thriving ecosystems that can be found around the world and are a prime tourist destination. It has been shown in the past that keystone species are a necessity within ecosystems and because of that, we need to ensure that these keystone species don’t disappear. While the argument is still occurring as to whether sharks should be considered a keystone species or not, research is continuing to be conducted regarding sharks’ roles in
As they are at the top of the food chain, sharks play a very important role in the oceans in a way that an average fish does not. Sharks keep populations of other fish healthy and in proper proportion for their ecosystem. By preying on the old, sick or slower fish in a population, they prevent the spread of disease and prevent outbreaks that could be devastating. According to Ransom Myers from Shark savers, “sharks may be gone within the next decades if we continue to kill them, resulting in the loss of important foods that we depend on for survival, causing a marine ecosystem imbalance.” At the same time, I accept that shark nets could be useful, especially in shark infested areas that have been renowned as spots where many attacks have occurred, but I still believe, as you would, that scientists should spend more resources on working out why it is becoming more common for sharks to be entering shallower waters, looking for food – namely seals, who just happen to look like
So why do we need sharks? Well, Sharks help keep the ocean healthy and clean for over 450 million years. They also help remove half of the worlds green house gases and produces oxygen more than all of the rainforest's combined! Sharks are just as important as all the trees in the world because they have one thing in common, provide us with oxygen. Without the sharks help we wouldn't be able to get rid as much of the greenhouse gases as we want to, which means global warming would have a lower rate of happening faster. Most importantly they provide us with food. How? They would usually eat the old, sick or slower fish in the population of the ocean to the right size so the prey species don't cause harm to ecosystem by becoming to populated. They are also at the top of the food web. If all the sharks went extinct the entire food web would collapse causing many other species of fish to disappear. So instead of killing the sharks, we could lure them away to somewhere else. As they have a huge impact to the environment.
As I mentioned earlier, Sharks maintain the balance of the entire marine ecosystem! If the ocean’s ecosystem were to collapse, it would greatly affect life even on the surface. Sharks tend to eat fish who are much slower and sickly therefore they keep the population of fish in a healthier state. We depend on the oceans for the oxygen that we breathe because of certain species in the ocean that produce oxygen such as Phytoplankton, if Sharks were to be extinct, we would lose a great amount of the oxygen on Earth because the balance of living Phytoplankton and other species would not be enough. Furthermore, Sharks have been maintaining the balance of our ecosystem for 400 million years, if these sharks were to be gone, who would balance this heavy task? A number of scientific studies demonstrate that depletion of Sharks results in the loss of important fish and shellfish species from the food chain, including key fisheries such as tuna, which help the health o...
Mills, Scott L., Daniel F. Doak, and Michael E. Soule. "The Keystone-species Concept in Ecology and Conservation." BioScience 43.4 (1993): 219-25. Apr. 1993. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
The Great Shark debate – to cull or not to cull, has been at the forefront of the minds of conservationists, as well as the general population for many decades now. The opinions of everyone are divided, according to their personal experiences, and views on what is right and wrong for the environment.
This article discusses how important the organisms symbiotic with coral reefs are, as well as how important coral reefs are to our environment. Also explained is how natural and non natural things things like hurricanes and overfishing affects them. A study is quoted about how water acidity also plays a role in the bleaching of corals. Lastly, restoration and conservation efforts are discussed and how we could possibly help our oceans.
People are well aware of the declining barrier reef population and the concerns connecting to that, but not many people know that sharks play a very important role in barrier reef health. According to a Canadian and Australian study, a decrease in shark populations are connected to a decrease in herbivorous fish, which are detrimental to reef health. These herbivorous fish actually eat algae off of the reefs. If there are not enough fish to eat the algae, the coral could
Shark slaughter has led to shark populations being rapidly decimated all around the globe. Fishermen report that sharks are also getting smaller because they are not being given enough time to fully mature. Although there are other fish that are targeted more than sharks, they are not exactly affected by the kind of endangerment that sharks are currently experiencin...
This problem doesn 't only apply to coral reefs, however. It has actually been observed on the east coast of the United States. This hits quite close to home for those of us living in eastern North Carolina. In this particular case of reduced shark populations, it isn 't coral that suffers, but commercially valuable shellfish populations
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
Thesis: Sharks should be conserved because they are an important part of the ocean, attacks are often incidental, and human behavior influences the behavior of sharks.
A big change that has occurred in the oceans all over the world is the Coral Reefs are dying and are predicted to be dead by the end of the century due to the rising acidity of the oceans caused by many different threats to marine ecosystems. Coral reefs cover less than 0.2% of our oceans but they contain 25% of the world’s marine fish species according to Endangered: Biodiversity on the brink, 2010: pg.45). If this is the case that means by the time the end of the century comes around we will have lost close to 25% of the worlds marine ecosystems.
Keystone species are such species that has an excessively large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species are described as playing a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms’ inane ecosystem and helping to determine the types and numbers of various other species in the community.
Coral reefs are well known for their colorful array of marvelous sights including a parade of exotic flora and fauna. They are said to be the foundation for a quarter of marine species, and are a crucial support for human life as well. The coral reef ecosystem is a diverse collection of species (ranging from microscopic to larger-than-life in size) that interact with each other and their physical environment. If any piece of a coral reef is harmed or removed the entire community can be seriously affected, even to the point of collapse. Unfortunately, human impact has resulted in long-term stresses that, unlike the short-term stress of natural disasters, coral reefs are not as capable to recover from. “Approximately half of the world’s coral reef ecosystem resources are considered by scientists to be in 'poor' or 'fair' condition and have declined over time due to several anthropogenic threats” (“Status of Corals” par. 2). Through poorly administered commercial practices, carelessness and ignorance among the common people, and human aggravated natural processes coral reef destruction has become a serious issue afflicting the world’s biodiversity and it’s intricate biosphere mechanics (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” 1) (“What Are Coral Reefs?” 1).
In A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Frederic Henry, the protagonist and narrator, fits the definition of the “Hemingway Hero”, and is more so affirmed as one in his attempted deviation from this archetype. From the beginning of the novel, Frederic exhibits qualities of the Hemingway Hero. He is a man of few words, strong and stoic, and has good morals as shown by his treatment of the priest. He expresses a respect for authority and a willingness to work hard for the military, but isn’t patriotic or willing to die for Italy. Frederic feels detached from the war because of this.