SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Issue 12, May 2016 | Page 102

The new data will be consolidated with thousands of hours of existing video data to form a single dataset for analysis, producing the first global standardized survey of shark, ray and skates in coral reef environments.

“Recent estimates suggest around 100 million sharks are taken from the oceans every year for their fins and meat. This is resulting in severe population declines for some species, and many of the species that are in trouble live in coastal habitats like coral reefs,” said Mike Heithaus, one of the lead marine scientists on the project and dean of the FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education. “This could be a big problem for these ecosystems because sharks and rays, which are also in trouble in many places, may be important for keeping the oceans healthy. This global survey will fill in data gaps that could help governments, fisheries and others better understand and conserve these important predators.”

With funding from Paul G. Allen, Global FinPrint is one of several initiatives within Paul G. Allen’s portfolio of ocean health programs.

“A recent International Union for Conservation of Nature report indicated that we don’t have the data we need to accurately assess the current population status for almost half of shark and ray species,” said Dune Ives, senior director of philanthropy at Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. “Results from Global FinPrint will provide critical trend analyses and establish baselines in places that have never before been systematically assessed. This information will help inform more effective conservation efforts.”

Survey data will be made available in 2018 through an open-access database platform created by Vulcan’s technology development team and will include information on species density, habitats and diversity trends. Researchers, policymakers, governments and others will be able use this database to help inform conservation priorities, such as identifying and protecting areas with large or important shark populations, and to better understand the ecological importance of sharks as apex predators.

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