Tag: reefs

Reef tales: candid cams reveal shark populations in decline

by Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (APF) — An unprecedented global survey has revealed a shocking decline in the number of reef sharks, with the predators “functionally extinct” on nearly 20 percent of sites studied. The four-year study used more than 15,000 baited and remotely operated cameras — so-called “chum cams” — to obtain the first comprehensive picture of where reef sharks are thriving and where they are virtually non-existent. The results, from over 370 reefs […]

Shellfish reefs: Australia’s untold environmental disaster

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Virtually all of Australia’s shellfish reefs have disappeared, making them the country’s most threatened ocean ecosystem, scientists said Thursday, calling for more investment to rescue the important marine habitats. While recent global focus has been on the destruction of coral reefs, a study led by the Nature Conservancy found that between 90 and 99 percent of shellfish reefs have vanished since British colonisation 230 years ago. The reefs, formed by millions […]