Two-thirds of reef sharks and rays risk extinction

Bull sharks in the waters off Fiji. Nearly two-thirds of the sharks and rays that live among the world’s corals are threatened with extinction. Photos: Colin Simpendorfer/Simon Fraser University/James Cook University/AFP

Nearly two-thirds of the sharks and rays that live among the world’s corals are threatened with extinction, according to new research published recently, with a warning this could further imperil precious reefs.

Coral reefs, which harbour at least a quarter of all marine animals and plants, are gravely menaced by an array of human threats, including overfishing, pollution and climate change.