Impact on the Ocean’s Ecosystem
As sharks are commonly apex predators or tertiary consumers, the act of killing for shark fin soup has many ecological implications that can determine the health of the ocean’s ecosystem. Sharks provide many necessary behaviors and instincts that help maintain the ocean’s ecosystem. With this in mind, they have a large impact on the tropic levels of the ocean’s ecosystem as they have an adverse relationship with small species that help maintain the support the quality of the ocean water and a healthy living environment.
Impact on Ocean Trophic Levels
Sharks are indirectly correlated with coral reefs and the health of our waters. A decrease in their population would result in a hindrance of trophic levels, straining the overall health and regulation of the ocean ecosystem. Being an apex predator, sharks are species that have the highest trophic level and have the ability to structure the food web (Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers, 2016). A decline in an apex specie such as a shark has the potential to shift the dynamics of the food web as the risk of a mesopredator release may occur (Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers, 2016). Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers then state that modifying the functionality and the basic dynamics of the food web has the potential to transpire into tropic cascades (2016). Shellfish are an …show more content…
As jellyfish and stingrays are secondary consumers to sharks, their populations have
As sharks are commonly apex predators or tertiary consumers, the act of killing for shark fin soup has many ecological implications that can determine the health of the ocean’s ecosystem. Sharks provide many necessary behaviors and instincts that help maintain the ocean’s ecosystem. With this in mind, they have a large impact on the tropic levels of the ocean’s ecosystem as they have an adverse relationship with small species that help maintain the support the quality of the ocean water and a healthy living environment.
Impact on Ocean Trophic Levels
Sharks are indirectly correlated with coral reefs and the health of our waters. A decrease in their population would result in a hindrance of trophic levels, straining the overall health and regulation of the ocean ecosystem. Being an apex predator, sharks are species that have the highest trophic level and have the ability to structure the food web (Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers, 2016). A decline in an apex specie such as a shark has the potential to shift the dynamics of the food web as the risk of a mesopredator release may occur (Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers, 2016). Roff, Doropoulos, & Rogers then state that modifying the functionality and the basic dynamics of the food web has the potential to transpire into tropic cascades (2016). Shellfish are an …show more content…
As jellyfish and stingrays are secondary consumers to sharks, their populations have