Coral reefs’ shark side

SHARKS play a key role in protecting the health of coral reefs, say WA researchers.

On a four-month expedition from Cairns to Broome, a team from the University of Western Australia observed a link between healthy reefs and the size of the shark population.

“We have made predictions that where you have higher shark abundance, the corals are healthier,” said study leader Professor Jessica Meeuwig. “Increasingly, we’re seeing that in marine-protected areas with healthy shark populations, the corals themselves recover faster from flooding, from bleaching – they have lower incidence of disease.”

Off the Kimberley coast researchers found a possible nursery and a high number of sharks under 50cm long.

Prof Meeuwig said the discovery was a reminder of how little is known about sharks.