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When devastation strikes the oceans, sharks can hold the key to recovery
A world without sharks is a world less resilient to extreme climate events, scientists say.
Predators, including some sharks, are known to be critical for maintaining stability and biodiversity in the world’s oceans. But according to a new study, they are also critical in helping ecosystems recover when devastation hits from hurricanes or marine heatwaves.
It’s a basic food web problem. Grazing animals, including turtles and dugongs, eat seagrass. Sharks eat the grazers. Grazers fear the sharks. So, when sharks are around, the grazers often avoid the area. While the grazers are away, the aquatic plants have time to grow and recover. When an extreme climate event strikes, the ecosystem must deal with a whole new set of variables that requires time to recover.