World Shark Awareness Day: Understanding the Importance of Sharks
By Sadia Seher
Sharks were misinterpreted for a long time. However, the obsolete perspective has gone, and a favourable shift in public perceptions regarding sharks means that an increasing number of individuals, organizations, and groups are making every effort to safeguard these amazing and diverse animals.
Did you know that there are over 1200 amazing species of rays and sharks? Everyone contributes to the stability and well-being of our oceans. A quarter of these species face extinction if we don’t act quickly, primarily as a result of overfishing.
They received recognition at the 19th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which took place in Panama last November.
Therefore, to understand the importance of sharks, World Shark Awareness Day is celebrated every year across the world.
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WHEN IS SHARK AWARENESS DAY CELEBRATED?
Every year on July 14th, people celebrate National Shark Awareness Day. This unique day is devoted to bringing attention to the critical role that sharks and other types of fish play in preserving the health of marine ecosystems and to the pressing need for shark conservation.
As apex predators, sharks contribute to maintaining ecological balance by controlling the populations of other marine animals. Many shark species are threatened despite their significance because of human activities such as habitat degradation, bycatch, and overfishing.
| INFOGRAPHICS:WORLD SHARK AWARENESS DAY – JULY 14TH – Date: July 14th – Purpose: To raise awareness about the importance of sharks in marine ecosystems and to promote conservation efforts. – Significance: Highlights the critical role sharks play in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems and the threats they face from human activities. – Activities: Educational workshops, documentaries about sharks, Fundraising events to support shark conservation projects, Social media campaigns. |
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THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF SHARKS
Extremely Diverse and Specialist – Sharks have flourished and persisted in the water for more than 400 million years, giving rise to a diverse array of forms, functions, and geographic ranges.
Approximately 1500 different species of cartilaginous fish, including huge whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, and small dwarf lantern sharks swimming in the deep water, make up this highly specialized group of fish.
- ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Sharks are essential to maintaining the health of our oceans and their ecosystems. Sharks manage the disease, maintain the population of other species, and shape healthy genes in their prey populations by eating the sick, the foolish, and the slow.
- POWER AND BEAUTY
Because of their strength, speed, and viciousness, sharks are often used as marketing symbols by businesses and sports organizations. However, few animals can equal the breathtaking elegance and flawless evolution of sharks.
Watching a manta ray or hammerhead shark swim is an incredible and breathtaking experience that is best described in pictures, which speak louder than words.
- JOBS FOR DIVERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Sharks have a higher value when they’re alive. Around the world, divers and photographers search for sharks while bolstering local economies by providing a hand to those who might make a life by fishing for them. Therefore, it is highly valuable in the context of fish export.
A shark’s lifetime value is believed to be more than a million dollars, and the island nation of Palau has declared itself a shark preserve.
- HOPE FOR A FUTURE OCEAN
Sharks can serve as metaphors for the health of the seas, and their preservation could also rescue humankind’s future. There is an immediate urgency to take action since several shark species are in grave danger of going extinct. Good things are happening because of cooperation and action.
More than 100 species are traded there, including some of the most well-known and distinctive shark families in the world’s waters. These consist of the world’s fastest sharks, makos, whip-tailed thresher sharks, and hammerhead sharks with their peculiar head shape. We may be able to continue witnessing these species in the wild for many years to come because of these protections.
EXCITING FACTS RELATED TO SHARK AWARENESS
Here are some compelling facts related to shark awareness that highlight the importance of shark conservation:
- SHARKS SPECIES ARE ENDANGERED
Environmental factors such as habitat loss, bycatch, overfishing, and climate change pose a threat to the survival of over 40% of the more than 1,000 shark and ray species found in the ocean, including those found at Adventure Aquarium.
- LOSS OF TEETH
Throughout their lives, sharks can lose over 30,000 teeth, which they store as a backup for their next meal. Behind their first row of chompers, they have several rows of teeth, which guarantees they are always ready for their next meal.
- SHARKS HAVE A SIXTH SENSE
The sharks have a sixth sense. They can detect electrical stimuli with the help of the Lorenzini organ ampullae, which helps them seek hidden prey. Hammerhead sharks, for example, use their heads as metal detectors.
- VOCAL CHORDS IN SHARKS
Sharks are mute and unable to make sounds in movies because, in contrast to other marine animals like dolphins, whales, or seals, they lack vocal cords.
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CONCLUSION
On World Shark Awareness Day, we are reminded that sharks are essential to the health of our seas and are not merely to be feared as predators. Through collaborative efforts towards safeguarding these amazing animals, we can guarantee a stable and prosperous marine environment for upcoming generations.
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