Global FinPrint: quantifying reef sharks and rays around the world

Exploitation of sharks has led to depletion of shark populations around much of the world, with severe declines reported for dozens of species. However, the majority of shark and ray population assessments have been conducted... [ view full abstract ]

Exploitation of sharks has led to depletion of shark populations around much of the world, with severe declines reported for dozens of species. However, the majority of shark and ray population assessments have been conducted in temperate regions, often where industrialized fisheries are required to report catch to management agencies. A major knowledge gap remains in the tropics, where assessments of reef-associated sharks have been few and far between. The Global FinPrint project is a pioneering effort to address this problem, using baited remote underwater video surveys (BRUVS) to estimate the relative abundance of coral reef-associated sharks and rays from around the world. Here we outline the overall achievements of the project, providing first-ever estimates of where and why reef shark densities vary across the tropics and exploring how various social-ecological factors influence the current state of reef sharks in the world today. In doing so, we uncover multiple avenues for shark and ray conservation appropriate across a range of social and environmental contexts.