Reef tales: candid cams reveal shark populations in decline

Reef tales: candid cams reveal shark populations in declineAn unprecedented global survey has revealed a shocking decline in the number of reef sharks, with the predators "functionally extinct" on nearly 20 percent of sites studied. The four-year study used more than 15,000 baited and remotely operated cameras -- so-called "chum cams" -- to obtain the first comprehensive picture of where reef sharks are thriving and where they are virtually non-existent. "These nations are places where we're saying that reef sharks... play no role in the ecosystem there and they're functionally extinct," MacNeil, an associate professor at Dalhousie University said.