There are sharks living in warm, temperate and cold waters. It is understood that sharks are going to live
where the water is deep enough that they can be well hidden. This allows them the ability to swim freely
around in the body of water. Of course they need to reside where they can find enough food to survive on.
Since sharks have very few enemies they are able to move freely around in the water as they desire. They
are loners for the most part so they don’t travel together.
Sharks don’t roam all areas of the ocean as some people fear. While it is true that occasionally they are
spotted in locations that they normally wouldn’t be it has to do with their needs. For example if
something is wrong in their normal habitat such as severe pollution, an oil spill, or even a lack of food
then they will search out other locations where they can reside.
Many sharks prey on fish, eating the old, sick or weak, and strengthening the gene pool while stopping
the fish from demolishing their habitats. Some species feed on seals or other marine mammals. While
sharks have different appetites based on species, even their presence can intimidate prey species enough
to disperse the population, avoiding overgrazing of the habitat. Because of this, scientists have classified
them as keystone species, meaning that their removal can destroy the entire ecosystem, affecting not just
the animals that live in the ocean but humans as well. The loss of commercially important fish and
shellfish, including tuna, has been observed to negatively affect fisheries after the elimination of sharks.
Sharks are at risk of becoming endangered. They have low reproduction rates, worsened by the
destruction of mangroves and reefs where they reproduce and pollution of their habitats. They are
hunted by humans for their fins. Their populations are also severely damaged by accidental capture in
fisheries.
Consider the information above.
1. Describe the habitat of the shark.
2. Describe the niche of the shark.