Scientists have discovered that sharks are abandoning coral reef homes due to rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change, exacerbating their endangered status and harming reef ecosystems.
The study tracked over 120 grey reef sharks from 2013 to 2020, revealing that as coral reefs became stressed during extreme events like El Niño, sharks significantly reduced their residency time.
Healthy coral reefs, which benefitted from disrupted invasive species and abundant bird populations, attracted more sharks, suggesting that enhanced conservation efforts could support shark populations.
Dr. David Jacoby highlighted that as cold-blooded animals, reef sharks must migrate to cooler, deeper waters when temperatures rise, raising concerns about their survival and ecological roles.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]