The Importance of Learning Shark Behavior to Aid in Conservation Efforts
By Emily Melis
White sharks ( Carcharodon carcharias) are some of the most feared ocean predators by humans, but sharks actually have more to fear when it comes to the human population. Shark populations are rapidly declining due to various direct and indirect human activities and learning shark behavior can help limit human shark interactions.
Public Perceptions of Sharks
Sharks have had a negative connotation to humans for a long time, while humans are not actually on a sharks radar when it comes to being a predator. More specifically, white sharks are an important part of the ocean since they are one of the top predators in the ecosystem. Unprovoked shark bites, or “shark attacks”, are a very rare occurrence but the perception of them in the media drives a negative implication to the species as a whole when broadcasted online. Movies such as “JAWS” sarted a craze of shark hunting after perceiving white sharks as monsters. Since then, shark movies are a very common occurrence, with many of these movies villains being a white shark. Shark week, an annual week dedicated to showing educational shark programs on the Discovery Channel, is a great example of a positive way to perceive shark behavior in the media. They provide educational information to change the viewer’s perspective from villain to an important part of earth’s ecosystem. It is an accessible resource that can help educate the everyday viewer and help make younger generations interested in protecting not only sharks but other species on the earth.
Overall, this negative perception is detrimental to conservation efforts when it comes to white sharks, because the public perceives these sharks as a danger to ourselves and not an important asset to ocean ecosystems as a whole. Many shark species, including the white shark, are on the IUCN red list as vulnerable, and will only continue to decline as humans and sharks continue to interact without understanding the white shark’s behavior. This understanding can be critical to aid in conservation efforts.
A Recent Study
To better understand shark behavior, a recent study done by Andrew P. Colefax, Brendan P. Kelaher, Daniel E. Pagendam, and Paul A. Butcher looked at 10 beaches off the coast of Australia from September 2016 to October 2018. Drones were used to observe shark behavior, and video footage was analyzed for interactions. These interactions included anything from dolphins, schools of fish, and other seaweed, rays, rocks and reefs. After tracking and analyzing 108 sharks, shark movement toward the “surf zone”, or by the shore where humans usually reside, had minimal aggressive activity found. Movement was slow and constant while around the shore, and only in the presence of a school of fish or similar did swim activity tend to be irregular. Overall, sharks only appear to be aggressive when they are around their primary food source, such as schools or fish, dolphins, and seals (Colefax, et al., 4). If humans are able to recognize the signs of a potential shark feeding area, then unprovoked shark bites can be prevented. In the end, humans are the one in the sharks habitat, and the sharks are just doing what sharks have been doing for millions of years before humans were even on this earth!
Why Should We Care?
The coast is one of the most visited places when it comes to vacations, everyone wants to take a tropical vacation once in a while. If we want to keep the beaches and beautiful coasts the way they are now, then we must care about the ecosystem and persevering the environments in the ocean. Sharks populations are rapidly declining, from the illegal shark fin trade, trophy hunting, getting caught as a bystander to mass fisheries, or simply from crossing paths too close with a human and paying a deadly price, they are losing numbers by the second. What do all those reasons have in common? They’re all caused by humans, but better yet- can be prevented by humans as well. The trophic cascade that would happen if shark populations disappeared would be detrimental to the environment, in ways many people don’t even realize. The way we live our lives could be permanently changed, all by a series of events that we need to prevent from starting. Information and education is a key part of saving these species, it is important for the public to be informed and to make small conscious decisions everyday, or bigger lifestyle changes that can lead to a positive turn of events. It doesn’t just start with changing the minds of the individual level, it is also important for policies to be put in place to be able to enforce. Everyone can take a part in preserving this incredible species, and they’re counting on us to understand and protect them.
Work Cited
Colefax, Andrew P., et al. “Assessing White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias) Behavior Along Coastal Beaches for Conservation-Focused Shark Mitigation.” Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 7, 2020, pp. 1–10., doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00268.
