ocean – The Pearl Protectors

Are We Killing Them Softly? Anthropologic Impact on Sea Turtles

The Pearl Protectors — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 13:01:12 +0000

By Samudra De Silva

From the shallow seagrass beds of the Indian Ocean, and vivid reefs of coral triangle to sandy coasts of the Eastern Pacific, seven different species of sea turtles swim through our ocean waters. As a highly migratory species, turtles periodically come ashore to nest, and spend the most of their lives in the ocean. For more than a hundred million years, sea turtles have played a crucial role in sustaining the balance of our marine ecosystems. They fortify productive coral reefs and transfer nutrients from the ocean to coastal dunes. Over the last two centuries, human activities have growingly challenged the survival of these ancient mariners.

Today Sea turtles are being completely erased from some parts of the planet and pushed to the verge of extinction. Nearly all seven existing species of sea turtles are now classified as endangered, with three of them being critically endangered. But at the same time, sea turtles are one of the most loved and discussed among marine animals. There is hardly anybody who hate these graceful flippers. It is important to review how we knowingly or unknowingly have doomed their lives.

Sea turtles are victims of poaching and over exploitation. They have been slaughtered for human consumption and their meat, skin, and shells are traded as food, medicine, collectibles, and spiritual artifacts over the years in unsustainable levels. Turtle eggs are collected from nesting sites as food and for their alleged aphrodisiac effect. Hawksbill turtles are hunted for their unique gold and brown shells used in making jewelry and other collectibles. Many other sea turtle species are killed for their skin, which is sold as a raw material for leather accessories. A global assessment on illegal marine turtle exploitation, demonstrate that over 1.1 million sea turtles were exploited from 1990-2020 against existing laws prohibiting their use in 65 countries with over 44,000 turtles exploited annually over the past decade. Exploitation across the 30 years dominantly consisted of green (56%) and hawksbill (39%) turtles when identified by species. International trade of all species of sea turtles and their parts is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a global agreement among 173 governments to regulate or ban international trade in species under threat, yet illegal trafficking persists, especially in parts of Africa, Asia and the America.

Bycatch or the incidental capture by fishing gear is lethal to most sea turtles, especially endangered loggerhead turtles, greens turtles, and leatherback turtles. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles are caught up in shrimp trawl nets, gill nets, and on longline hooks every year. Since sea turtles need to reach the water surface to breathe, many drown once entangled in the nets or hooks. This threat is increasing alarmingly as fishing activity expands. However, some relatively inexpensive changes in fishing gear, such as using larger hooks from which sea turtles can escape, is observed to bring down the mortality rate. Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) could reduce sea turtle bycatch in nets as well.

Along with many other species, sea turtles face habitat loss. Feeding grounds of turtles such as sea grass beds and coral reefs are continually deteriorated by natural and human activities including sedimentation, nutrient run off from agriculture, and beach restoration through sand filling. Human development projects such as beach nourishment, parks, rock jetties, and buildings on beaches can reduce the amount and quality of available nesting sites for sea turtles. Human generated light is a serious threat to newly hatched sea turtles. Hatchlings are naturally attracted to light as the brightest area on a natural beach is the horizon over the ocean. Bright light emitted from streetlights and building on beaches causes hatchlings to become disoriented, crawling towards the light on the land and away from the water. Some beaches with high turtle nesting density have lost thousands of hatchlings due to impact of artificial light. There are recorded cases where large number of hatchlings were run over by vehicles after disorienting and crawling onto roadway. Noise and human activity on the beach also may cause females turtles to return to the sea instead of nesting.

Pollution, both chemical and physical, has become fatal. Trash in ocean and along coastlines, lowers the quality of their feeding grounds and nesting sites. Turtles seem to confuse solo drifting debris with their diet, and many turtles are dying from intestinal blockage due to ingestion of balloons and plastic bags which resemble their gelatinous translucent prey (jelly fish). A recent study shows that loggerheads ate plastic 17% of the time they encountered it, mistaking it for jellyfish. It escalated to 62% for green turtles, likely on the lookout for algae. The chemicals ingested from the plastic can leach into their eggs and affect offspring. A high level of phthalates has been measured in Leatherback turtle eggs’ yolks, which can disrupt endocrine activity in hatchlings. In 2015, an Olive Ridley sea turtle was found with a plastic drinking straw lodged inside its nostrils. Sharp objects found in marine debris can cause both internal and external injuries in sea turtles, which turns lethal. Sea turtles are vulnerable to oil spills because of the oil’s tendency to linger on the water’s surface, and affect them at all stages of their life cycle.

Climate change which is a long term and inevitable outcome of pollution has an impact on turtle nesting sites, as alterations in sand temperatures of the nest which determines the sex of hatchlings. Unusually warm temperatures are disrupting the normal ratios, biasing towards females resulting in fewer male hatchlings, or even preventing any of the eggs from hatching. The right balance between sexes is a determining factor for the continued procreation of this critically endangered species. Warmer sea surface temperatures can also lead to the loss of important foraging grounds for sea turtles, while increasingly severe storms and rising sea levels can destroy nests and erode beaches, making safe nesting sites severely scarce. Altering ocean currents, which are the highways that sea turtles use for migration, cause them to possibly have to shift their range and nesting time.

Unregulated leisure activities organized by travel and tourism businesses, such as “swim with sea turtles” followed by tourists feeding the animals, are exposing them to health risks. Too much of human intervention can disturb beaching turtles and scare them away. Often such activities are conducted with primitive knowledge on the behavior of these sensitive marine creatures, and only focuses on the financial gain. There are recorded cases where captive turtles are used for such businesses. Not only is it unethical and illegal, keeping away a mature animal that could reproduce, and stopping it from contributing to the genetic pool is ill- fated for the survival of a species, specially an endangered one.

Mismanaged conservation efforts such as sea turtle hatcheries seem to impact sea turtles in an opposing way than what they are planned for – which is to protect, rehabilitate and release back into the wild. Usually the turtle eggs are collected from the beach so as to avoid the risk of poachers and predators. Once the turtles hatch, they are monitored and released in to the ocean. Research demonstrates that relocating eggs alter hatchling gender ratios as well as the hatchling rate, possibly due to unusually warmer temperatures and overcrowding. In natural circumstances, the hatchlings are supposed to enter sea as soon as they hatch. Unfortunately, commercial turtle hatcheries act as tourist bait until an entrance fee is paid to release the sea turtles to the ocean, and they are kept in cement tanks until then. The cement tanks cannot simply replicate a sea environment in terms of salinity and the space that the sea turtles are habituated to, as highly migratory animals. Overpopulated, unhygienic and poorly maintained tanks caused spread of diseases among captive hatchlings, and allowing tourists to touch them further increases the risk of contamination and diseases. Hatchlings lose their stored energy by swimming continually in tanks at its critical stage of development, downgrading their survival rate when they eventually swim out to the deep ocean. Rehabilitation through hatcheries also interfere with the unique imprinting mechanism of sea turtles which naturally guide them to return to their natal beach to lay their own eggs someday.

Such human generated threats to sea turtles are escalating along with the rising human populations around the world. In-situ conservation, strengthening protected areas around nesting beaches, raising public awareness on the behavior of sea turtles, promoting ecotourism, lobbying for turtle friendly fishing practices, and minimizing of plastic debris and chemical contaminants which end up in the sea, will be helpful to ensure the tomorrow of those unique and graceful mariners who share the planet with us.

Header Image: NPS Photo via US National Park Service

The Blue Dragon Species

The Pearl Protectors — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 11:04:40 +0000

By Janya Edirisinghe

Glaucus Atlanticus, commonly known as the blue dragon/blue glaucus are a species of nudibranches (sea slugs). However, unlike terrestrial sea slugs, these sea slugs are very brightly coloured. These colours have inspired a series of nicknames, such as blue dragon, sea swallow, and blue angel.

CHARACTERISTICS AND APPEARANCE

The Blue Dragon species is pelagic which means that they float on the water surface, due to the air stored inside their stomachs, which is not a common characteristic of most nudibranchs. The creature often floats on its backside, showing its brightly coloured underbelly to airborne predators. The bright and dark blue colour camouflage against the backdrop of ocean waves, and the animal’s silvery grey dorsal blends in with the bright sea surface, concealing it from predators below. The deep blue colour may also help reflect harmful UV rays. This phenomenon is called countershading where the animal is built in a way to help it avoid being attacked by both flying and swimming predators while floating in open water.

Additionally, the Blue Glaucus has a flattened, tapered body, along with six appendages that branch out into finger-like cerata – they almost look like horns. Cerata are long, slender structures that sting when hunting or when the Blue Glaucus feels threatened.

FOOD AND DIET

Like other sea slug species, the blue glaucus isn’t venomous by itself. They store venom in their bodies mostly derived as they feed on other pelagic, venomous creatures including the Portuguese Man o’ War and the Blue Button Jelly. These sea slugs will then store these toxins within their own tissues. The blue dragon has hard disks inside its skin and a protective layer of mucus that shields them against these stinging cells – of which it can accumulate a significant amount. This ability provides the blue glaucus with a defence mechanism against predation. Cannibalism is also very common between this species – these slugs won’t hesitate to eat other Blue Glaucus if they are unable to find other pelagic creatures to feast on.

HABITAT

Glaucus Atlanticus thrive in warm temperate climates and are usually found in tropical/subtropical waters. These sea slugs are passive swimmers which means that they are carried along by the winds and ocean currents. A group of blue glaucuses floating together is called a ‘blue fleet’. Since they float with the current, these ‘blue fleets’ can end up being stranded in beaches accidentally and they can be found in almost every ocean – there are several records of these creatures being found along Indian coastlines. Humans handling the slug may receive a very painful and potentially dangerous sting, hence it is not advisable to have close contact with these creatures. One thing to keep in mind is that the venom of the Blue Glaucus remains active even after it dies!

Interestingly, Blue Glaucus are now appearing in regions where they have never been seen before and scientists theorize that this may be due to the cyclical changes in the Portuguese Man o’ War populations, warming oceans and increased storm activity.

LIFESPAN AND REPRODUCTION

The life expectancy of the Blue Dragon is short and ranges from between one month to one year.

The Blue Glaucus, like all nudibranchs, is hermaphroditic – each individual produces both egg and sperm. An individual cannot fertilize its own eggs, however, and hence pairs must still mate. Long, spiral-shaped eggs are produced by both males and females and often float freely in the open water or stick to nearby surfaces.

THREATS

Many people want to add these creatures to aquariums all around the world, but keeping the Blue Glaucus in confinement is impractical because of its diet, as it is nearly impossible to obtain the required number of Portuguese Man o’ War, and those kept as pets often starve to death.

Moreover, ocean acidification caused by an increase in C02 levels due to global warming has led to a reduction of food that the Portuguese man o’ war eats (such as shrimp and small adult fish), eventually threatening Blue Glaucus populations.

Additionally, pollution represents an ongoing threat to the survival of Blue Glaucus. Harmful objects can be fatal to this sea slug as well as the toxins in the trash.

As mentioned above, cannibalism is common among this species, so other Blue Glaucus impose a threat to this sea slug. Few studies that have been conducted on the Blue Glaucus, show that loggerhead sea turtles may be one natural predator. A study on this species found that 42% of their stomachs contained remnants of blue dragons.

In conclusion, like most marine invertebrates, there is little information available regarding the conservation status of the Blue Glaucus, therefore, more research has to be done into this area, so that these creatures do not go into extinction.

Impacts of Sound Pollution on the Marine Environment

The Pearl Protectors — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:47:58 +0000

By Kasumi Gunasekera

Photo by Marek Okon via Unsplash

Over the last several decades, noise pollution in the ocean has dramatically increased. This situation is extensively damaging the marine environment since many marine species are highly dependent on sound for their survival. This has caused disturbances to their regular routines, and certain incidents have been reported to be lethal as well. The identification and prevention of sound pollution have been initiated in different parts of the world with research and studies. It is vital to take effective measures to minimize such impacts on the marine environment and the ecosystem-wide effects of sound pollution.

How Does Marine Life Use Sound?

Most marine animals are very sensitive to sound and low-frequency noise. They use sound for most of the essential life functions including navigation, communication, foraging, reproduction, feeding, and avoiding hazards. The sound is transmitted effectively underwater, covering large areas while the vision is only useful for tens of meters underwater. Therefore, it is not surprising that sound has become an evolutionary key sense for marine life.

Photo via Earth Org

Sound Pollution in Marine Environment

Sound pollution happens in different ways and is threatening the natural soundscape of the marine environment. It is an addition to the prevailing problems in the marine environment such as global warming, over-fishing, and plastic and other waste pollution. According to current studies, low-frequency sonar, which is used to detect submarines, could affect marine life over an area of about 3.9 million square kilometers. Seismic air-gun noise from oil and gas exploration is another key cause of noise pollution which can be the loudest part of the background noise heard underwater even if it is about 3,000 kilometers away. Other discoveries suggest that underwater background noise levels have doubled every decade for the last several decades, mostly due to commercial shipping in certain areas. The explosions and ongoing constructions are also contributing to sound pollution, damaging marine wildlife.

Would They Adapt to the Noise Changes?

The oceans are naturally noisy environments due to various reasons including wave noise, rainfall, and lightning strikes. Therefore, it is possible to assume that marine animals can adapt to the noise and its trends. Even though such adaptations are assumed, it is only possible to expect adapting for natural noise sources which are commonly encountered over evolutionary time. It would not apply to anthropogenic (human-made) underwater noise, which is a relatively recent addition to the marine environment.

Photo via Gov. of Canada

Impact on Marine Environment

The disrupting sound, or noise in marine environments, can potentially prevent or disturb different routines of marine animals because noise can blanket a very large area. Several studies have been conducted to identify the impacts of sound pollution on marine animals, where the reduced population of several species has been identified. In a studied beaked whale population, there was a remarkable decline in population numbers for years after a sonar-induced stranding which implies that most of the population was either displaced or killed.

Hearing loss and damage may be as serious as lethal impacts from sound pollution because they may affect more animals even though it is harder to detect. Seismic air guns have been shown to extensively damage fish ears at distances of 500 meters up to several kilometers. The moderate levels of noise have been enough to cause temporary hearing damage for some species of fish, requiring weeks to recover their hearing ability. The interference and masking of signals due to noise can cause animals to miss hearing the sounds, resulting in survival consequences for the species.

Furthermore, whales have moved away from their feeding and breeding grounds, have altered their migration route, and have changed their signals. They have blundered into fishing nets or were unable to avoid ships, most likely due to hearing damage because of noise. The beaked whales exhibited an estimated decrease in their foraging efficiency during disturbing noise levels. Bluefin tuna have shown a disruption in their swimming behavior with noise from boats, as well as an increase in aggressive behavior. Several marine species including reef fish need to be able to hear aspects of reef noise to select suitable habitats. This has also been impacted by noise pollution.

Photo by Jim Stringer via Woods Hole

Noise in the form of naval sonar or seismic surveys can be deadly to cetacean (whales and dolphins) species in some incidents. Whales have been found to be dead within hours, by stranding or death at sea, from even brief exposure to moderate levels of mid-frequency military sonar. Since the emergence of powerful sonar, such incidents have been quite frequent. Even giant squids have mass-stranded due to seismic air guns according to a study, and they all suffered internal injuries.

The early fish or marine mammals are also sensitive to noise which would increase the noise impact on marine populations in the future as well. The heart rates of certain early life were found to increase significantly with noise exposure. These species have exhibited a more difficult time finding suitable settlement habitats and are likely to suffer from increased mortality as a result.

Invertebrates which are animals lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusks, annelids, and coelenterates are also potentially impacted by ocean noise. Such species have shown deviations in metabolic rate, growth, reproduction, signs of stress, and bruised organs even under low-level exposure to noise.

Photo by Ed Lyman via NOAA

A study suggests a decline in cetacean (whales and dolphins) species diversity with an increase in the intensity of seismic survey activity, where there was no significant change in other oceanographic conditions. According to the prevailing studies, at least 24 cetaceans species, 3 seal species, 21 fish species, 5 invertebrate species, and 2 marine turtle species have shown negative responses to noise. Noise is listed as an intrusion and it is one of the impacts that can result in a substantial loss of biodiversity over time not only in sensitive marine habitats but also in other areas too.

Conclusion

The impacts of noise can cause marine life to deviate from their routines and encounter novel challenges. Many different noise sources can also cause a magnified effect such as when seismic noise is merged with shipping noise. This disruption to marine biodiversity with undersea anthropogenic noise is concerning and the noise levels are still rising. Therefore, this issue must be resolved and managed nationwide and globally with a precautionary approach and regulations to conserve biodiversity and the marine ecosystem.

Cover photo: Ocean Care

Rs. 911 million received for X-Press Pearl Compensation

The Pearl Protectors — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:29:46 +0000

By Vidusha Sirimanne

On the 20th of May 2021, X-press Pearl, a cargo vessel sailing near the western coast of Sri Lanka caught fire due to a nitric acid leak. More than 50 billion plastic pellets were spilled into the Sri Lankan waters along with other hazardous chemicals, poisoning marine species and devastating the economy of the fisherman in the western coast. This became known as “Sri Lanka’s worst marine ecological disaster”. To prevent further harm, the government imposed an 80 km ban of fishing spanning from Negombo to Kalutara due to fears of contaminated fish entering the local market.

More than a year since the catastrophic incident, compensation payments have been made, initially covering a total of Rs.683 million. In addition, another Rs. 911 million was issued as compensation on 27th August 2022. The payment has been confirmed by the ministry of fisheries and will be distributed to the 15,032 fisherman who were affected by the X-Press Pearl disaster and fishing ban which caused a loss of daily income for months. So far, the money has been received by the impacted fisherman who were awarded a monetary sum of Rs.80,000 to Rs.240,000. However, this does not compensate for the environmental damage and the loss of marine life as there are irreversible consequences that cannot be entirely estimated.

Cover Image: Isuruhetti, Wikipedia

Impact of Climate Change on Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Pearl Protectors — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 10:58:59 +0000

By Nathasha Wickramasinghe

As we move towards the future, our world is changing both positively and negatively. In terms of positive changes, there are major technological advancements. On the other hand, our earth is facing rapid climatic changes resulting in global warming.

Climate change is a global phenomenon which is the long-term/prolonged changes in weather patterns around the world. Climate change is altering biological processes in marine and freshwater fish and their food webs thus having a big impact on fisheries and aquaculture. Aquaculture which is the farming of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants, has been affected by climate change for over decades. Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food supply sector with an average growth rate of 6.7%. This sector is an integral part of providing basic nutrients for humans.

Image by Govindraj Javali

Rising Sea Temperature

Fish are poikilothermic, which means that their body temperature varies/fluctuates depending on the temperature of the environment. Therefore, temperature plays a vital role in the growth of aquatic animals.

Despite the Paris agreement that came into effect on 4th November 2016 which stated that the collective goal of all the 193 parties that signed the agreement should be to maintain a global temperature of 2c or more (preferably 1.5c), it has not happened yet. So, as the temperature of the water rises due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide, fish will no longer be able to breathe.

Rising sea temperatures also result in thermal stress. Thermal stress is stress that is caused by changes in temperature. Stress has a severe impact on the physiology of the fish which subsequently has a direct impact on their immune system. Corals lose their integral partner which is the marine algae that give the corals their colour and produce food for the coral due to thermal stress. This results in coral bleaching. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the 7 natural wonders of the World, is suffering from coral bleaching. This not only has a drastic impact on aquatic life but also on people who depend on tourism to live.

Changes in temperature also result in nutrient distribution alterations, thus convectional breeding/growing grounds have been altered. This makes it difficult for farmers to catch fish and many fish struggle to obtain the necessary nutrients to evolve and grow to their full capacity.

Rising Sea Levels

With the ongoing climatic crisis, the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change states that the sea level is expected to rise between 10 and 30 inches (i.e. 26 to 77 centimetres) with the temperature warming 1.5c by 2100. But this is expected to change as the magnitude and the rate of the rise depend on greenhouse gas emissions.

A sea level rise will change the composition of species and ecosystem productivity. This rise can also damage aquaculture facilities such as cages, tanks, and ponds, particularly those located in lowland regions.

Sea levels rising can also destroy coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, which are required to protect the coast from coastal erosion, and even salt marshes which are crucial for maintaining fish stock. Damage to these ecosystems could put local people under pressure to move their aquaculture farms elsewhere.

Italian Fish Farmers Association

Ocean Acidification

The ocean is very important to us, not just because it provides various habitats to an eclectic mix of exotic creatures but also because it is the biggest carbon sink to exist on earth. Oceans absorb 50 times more CO2 from the atmosphere than trees on the land. Seaweed (all types) is able to store CO2 for up to a whopping 800 years! Therefore, it is important to ensure the pH levels do not fall, which would result in ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification refers to a decline in pH levels in ocean water resulting from excessive CO2 uptake. A fall in pH level to a critical level will cause water to become too acidic for marine animals and plants to survive thus leading to death. The capacity of the ocean to store CO2 decreases as aquatic plants and other species such as phytoplankton (i.e. the biggest carbon sink) die, thereby exacerbating the state of global warming.

Moreover, a rise in ocean acidity results in a decrease in the availability of carbonate for corals (Carbonate is the building block of corals). Thus, growth declines resulting in the depletion of the natural habitat. This will place much of the aquatic way of life in danger.

Rising acidity can also have a negative impact on the physiology and metabolism of aquatic species but this depends on the adaptive capacity of the species.

Fisheries is a place where fish are grown for food/where they are caught for commercial purposes. The impact of climate change on fisheries can be segmented into two categories.

1. Direct effect

2. Indirect effect

Direct effects are seen in the physiology, reproduction, behavior, and development rates of the fish. Indirect effect act through changes in the ecosystem such as nutrient distribution and availability of species.

Fishery scientists use computer-based models to monitor water temperature/acidification levels. Based on recent data from the models, the carbon dioxide content has rapidly increased, resulting in many fish struggling to survive due to oxygen deprivation. Consequently, the fishery industry will also struggle to meet the demand for fish around the world (demand>supply), thereby resulting in food insecurity.

Image by Paul Einerhand

Poverty and Climate Change

Small-scale fisheries are extremely vulnerable to climate change. There are two factors affecting this:

1. Poverty

2. Location

Many small-scale fisheries are located on waterfronts and so they are exposed to natural hazards fueled by climate change such as coastal flooding, hurricanes, ocean acidification, and coastal erosion. And due to their low income, they are unable to build effective defense barriers to protect fish farms from disasters.

Therefore, many lose their source of income and cannot support their livelihoods. Livelihood strategies may have to be modified with changes in fish migration patterns. This could potentially impose social pressure and major occupational changes.

Cover image: GEF

All About Whale Sharks

The Pearl Protectors — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 10:41:35 +0000

By Tania de Silva

A few days ago, when I began my research commenced on Whale Sharks, I could not tear myself away till I learned more about this mind-blowing species. They are the largest omnivorous fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more. Whale sharks have a vast menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us! —their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths, while swimming close to the water’s surface.

Whale sharks are filter feeders and can neither bite nor chew. They can process more than 6,000 liters of water an hour through their gills. Although its mouth can stretch to four feet wide, a whale shark’s teeth are so tiny that it can only eat small shrimp, fish, and plankton by using its gill rakes as a suction filter. It is thought that less than 10% of whale sharks born survive to adulthood, but those that do may live up to 150 years.

Moreover, Whale sharks can be found in all temperate and tropical oceans around the world, except the Mediterranean Sea. They can migrate thousands of miles to different feeding grounds, but only at a slow swimming speed of around 3 miles per hour. Many Whale Sharks are accidentally caught in fishing gear, as well as caught deliberately for their fins, which are a delicacy in Asia. Their ocean home is also in danger. As climate change increases the temperatures of the water – this affects both habitats and prey, causing shark populations to shift. Additionally, plastic pollution also causes entanglement or if ingested, especially by these filter feeders, could also affect populations and health.

In addition, it is thought that the most significant threat to whale sharks is habitat loss or degradation in the form of overfishing of reef fish, coastal development, land-based pollution, increased boat traffic, and noise pollution. Fishing for meat and fins, harassment, and boat strikes also pose serious threats to whale sharks.

In the past, the whale shark has been of little interest to man. At present, commercial fisheries for whale sharks are limited but may expand to match the increased demand for food products. In Taiwan, approximately 100 whale sharks are taken annually. Whale shark meat fetches a high price in this country, and this fact has stimulated larger harvests over the last few years. The processing of whale shark fins has also been reported in India. Often the whale shark is used as an indicator of waters rich in plankton-feeding fish that will, in turn, attract more valuable species such as tuna.

Whale sharks have been kept in aquaria in Japan, but their large size and specialized diet preclude this species from being mainstream aquarium species. In a few locations where the presence of whale sharks appears to be predictable, they are increasingly targeted by commercial tourist operations.

Nevertheless, Whale Shark serves as top predators in the food chain, and are not prey to any other creature. This allows them to play the role of regulating the levels of other predators within the ocean. The conservation of whale sharks is important. Not just because it’d be tough for other animals to take on the tasks that these colossal sea creatures manage with ease, but because losing any species within an ecosystem can have a negative impact on every other plant and animal within that ecosystem. We can do our part to protect whale sharks by choosing sustainably fished seafood, supporting governmental policies that protect sharks, and choosing tourism operators that minimize their impact on the environment while simultaneously educating their guests on the animals they take visitors to see.