Predators As Protectors
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Who would have guessed that sharks – the bad guys in movies and nightmare of surfers – are actually heroes for our planet?
These fearsome, apex predators at the top of the ocean food chain keep the world’s marine populations stable. This helps to protect our oxygen supply by reducing the sea life that consume underwater vegetation that generates oxygen.
By keeping sea populations in check sharks also help to eliminate harmful algae that damages coral reefs.
Still, it’s understandable that sharks – that have rows of sharp, replaceable teeth and can be up to 60-feet or more – aren’t animals most people want to encounter up close.
But, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel know someone who has done just that.
To meet a real shark expert and find out what makes sharks so intriguing, we are excited to introduce you to marine scientist Apryl Boyle, CEO of El Porto Shark, which gathers and analyzes shark population data for conservation purposes.
Boyle, a National Geographic and Discovery Channel Shark Week contributor and former Aquarium Operations Associate Director for Santa Monica’s Heal the Bay Aquarium, has quite a story to tell.
To check it out, just click on: Shark Love
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