Exploring occurrence and abundance of reef sharks in the Pacific

There is increasing concern over the status of global sharks and rays with as many as 25% of species threatened with extinction. In conjunction with pressure from fishing activities, at-risk populations also face the threats... [ view full abstract ]

There is increasing concern over the status of global sharks and rays with as many as 25% of species threatened with extinction. In conjunction with pressure from fishing activities, at-risk populations also face the threats of changing climate conditions and other human impacts. Based on these concerns it is important to understand the current status of populations to allow future investigation and understanding of how species and populations respond to pressures and management interventions. The Global FinPrint project is an international initiative to define the relative abundance of sharks and rays that occur in coral reef habitats. Baited remote underwater video surveys are being conducted to define species occurrence, richness and relative abundance to provide a baseline from which to define future species and population trends. Here we present data collected from 14 countries in the Pacific region and examine the variability among locations and potential capacity to improve the status of sharks and rays where needed. Differences in species richness were evident among countries ranging from 4 to 18 species as well as variability in relative abundance among species and locations. Potential reasons for variability will be explored and discussed. With coral reefs being some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems, this research is critical to our future management of these habitats and the predator populations that rely on them.