The World's Whale Shark Populations Are Closely Related
Whale sharks are a species that is declining, and there is limited biological data available about them. Although these animals are protected in many areas, they are still being legally and illegally fished in some countries. It is important to gather baseline biological and ecological data in order to develop an effective conservation plan for whale sharks.
It is not known, for example, whether the whale shark is represented by a single worldwide panmictic population or by numerous reproductively isolated populations.