Nurse sharks mating
Nurse sharks preparing to mate (Harold 'Wes' Pratt / Granted by source)

Proven: Marine Protected Areas Boost Shark Populations

The study, spanning 66 marine reserves across 37 countries worldwide, sheds light on the stark contrast in shark abundance between fully protected zones and areas open to industrial fishing. Reef-dwelling species such as Caribbean reef, grey reef, whitetip reef, and nurse sharks exhibited nearly double the population density within fully protected marine reserves compared to fishing-permitted zones.