Shark Extinction: Which Species Are Most Vulnerable?

KOMPAS.com – For more than 400 million years, sharks have been rulers of the oceans, surviving mass extinctions and extreme climate change.

However, today, sharks face a threat: pressure from human activities.

Overfishing, pollution and habitat loss have pushed about a third of the 500 known shark species to the brink of extinction.

The impact is bad for the ocean—and for all of us.

Also read: Why can’t sharks be eaten? IPB Experts Say There Are 3 Dangerous Substances

Not an Iconic Shark, But a Unique Species that is Most Threatened

According to a new study conducted by researchers from Stanford University, the sharks at greatest risk of extinction are not the species we hear most about, like the great white or hammerhead shark.

Instead, those most threatened are unusual shark species—those that patrol the deep ocean floor, or specialists with unique habits and narrow diets.

This finding comes from an analysis conducted by researchers on a group of sharks called a genus Carcharhinuswhich includes 35 species that are mostly “Vulnerable,” “Endangered,” or “Critically Endangered” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

To understand which sharks are most at risk, scientists analyzed more than 1,200 fossil and modern teeth from 30 species.

Shark teeth tell a lot of stories—their size provides clues to the animal’s overall body size, while their shape indicates the type of prey they prefer.

Based on this data, scientists discovered a pattern: sharks with unusual body types and diets were more likely to go extinct than the average shark.

The Impact of Extinction: A Simpler, ‘Boring’ World

The loss of rare sharks, especially those with unique morphologies and diets, will have a major impact on how marine ecosystems function.

Very large sharks require a lot of food and are therefore vulnerable when prey runs low, while sharks with specialized diets have difficulty adapting if their environment is damaged.

Also read: Endangered sharks can become food without us realizing it

This means that the surviving sharks are likely medium-sized, generalist sharks that live in the middle of the ocean.

Mohamad Bazzi, a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, explains the implications of this simplification.

“Our study illustrates that if the extinction of these large sharks does occur, sharks will become more similar and simpler, and you end up with a more boring world with less diversity of shapes,” Bazzi was quoted as saying Earth.