Super Science April 2011 Earth Day : Page 2

or the HUNTE R HUNTED? The Shark numbers are fallin g fast. Several shark-att ack survivors are coming to the rescue of their forme r foes Each year, sharks attack about 60 people worldwide. Only a few attacks are fatal ( see, “What Are the Odds?” page 7 ). Often a shark attack is a case of mistaken identity. From below, surfers on their boards resemble seals, a common meal for a shark. The shark-attack survivors know that sharks usually do not target humans. In fact, sharks themselves are in trouble. Their numbers have fallen sharply over the past 40 years. So the T 4 wo summers ago, a group of nine people gathered in Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It’s common for small groups to try to convince officials to pass laws that meet their interests. But these weren’t your average lobbyists. Most were missing limbs or had huge scars and bites marks. Each person had survived a shark attack! bycatch —fish accidentally caught by fishermen who are targeting other species ecosystem —an environment and the community of animals supported by that environment predator —an animal that hunts other animals for food plankton —tiny living things that float in great numbers in salt or fresh water food web —an interconnected system in which organisms eat other organisms to obtain the energy they need to survive S U PER S CI ENCE

The Hunter Or The The Hunted ?

Shark numbers are falling fast. Several shark-attack sur vivors are coming to the rescue of their former foes Two summers ago, a group of nine people gathered in Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It’s common for small groups to try to convince officials to pass laws that meet their interests. But these weren’t your average lobbyists. Most were missing limbs or had huge scars and bites marks. Each person had survived a shark attack! Each year, sharks attack about 60 people worldwide. Only a few attacks are fatal (see, “What Are the Odds?” page 7). Often a shark attack is a case of mistaken identity. From below, surfers on their boards resemble seals, a common meal for a shark. The shark-attack survivors know that sharks usually do not target humans. In fact, sharks themselves are in trouble. Their numbers have fallen sharply over the past 40 years. So the Survivors gathered to support an unlikely cause: They want to protect their finned attackers. “It wasn’t the shark’s fault,” says Debbie Salamone of the Pew Environment Group. She’s a shark-attack survivor who helped organize the gathering. SHARK S.O.S. Why do these fearsome predators need protection? “About 38 percent of the world’s shark species are threatened or near-threatened with extinction,” says Matt Rand. He’s the director of the Pew Global Shark Conservation Campaign in Washington, D.C. Some sharks are caught on purpose for their meat. They can also be accidentally snagged as bycatch, or fish caught by fishermen who are targeting other species. In addition to catching sharks, some fishermen take part in a Practice called shark finning. This is when a shark’s fins are removed and its body is thrown back into the sea. Fishermen sell the fins to restaurants to make soup. The dish is a special treat in some countries. But a Wounded shark left alive after finning won’t survive long. The group of shark-attack survivors is looking to address this problem with a proposed law. The bill, called the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, will Make it illegal for fishermen to bring back any shark fins not attached to bodies. This way, officials can keep track of the number of sharks caught and make sure that protected species don’t end up in fish markets. “[Shark finning is] a waste of a natural resource that has major impacts on the ocean ecosystem,” says Rand. TOP PREDATOR “Sharks are at the top of the food chain,” says George Burgess, a shark researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Being top predators doesn’t make sharks any more important than Smaller fish and plankton. These animals make up the bottom of the ocean’s food web. But since prey often outnumber predators, removing a large number of predators from the environment allows the prey populations to swell. This throws the entire ecosystem off balance. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED During their visit to Capitol Hill, the shark-attack survivors raised awareness about the threats to sharks. Their efforts have paid off! As of press time, the bill had passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. It Is awaiting the President’s signature to become law. “I just felt compelled by my situation to do something so that I could get some good out of the shark attack,” says Mike Coots, a surfer and shark-attack survivor who lives in Hawaii. “Without sharks, our marine environment would break down, and [this environment is] such a livelihood for all of us here in Hawaii and all of the coastal states around the world.” —By Karina Hamalainen words to know bycatch—fish accidentally caught by fishermen who are targeting other species ecosystem—an environment and the community of animals supported by that environment predator—an animal that hunts other animals for food plankton—tiny living things that float in great numbers in salt or fresh water food web—an interconnected system in which organisms eat other organisms to obtain the energy they need to survive What Are the Odds? Many people are afraid of sharks, but the chances of being attacked and killed by one are actually very slim. In fact, you’re 30 times more likely to be killed by a lightning strike than by a shark. Let’s see how the odds of a deadly shark attack compare with some other hazards.

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