The Center for Marine Resource Studies Initiates Apex Predator Research
Times of the Islands
Winter 2006

Soutn Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands - Sharks are generally regarded as apex predators, meaning that they are found at the end of the food-chain and have few natural predators themselves. Animals that hold such a position play a crucial role in maintaining the health of an ecosystem. However, apex predators tend to naturally have small population sizes, due mainly to the fact that evolutionary pressure has not forced them to cope with high levels of predation. This 'approach' has served sharks well for millennia, however, shark populations around the world are facing collapse, and even extinction. The reason, as you may have guessed, is because of increased exploitation and degradation of the marine habitat by man.

Over decades of marine research it has become apparent that the only successful approach to managing our marine resources is to take an ecosystem-wide approach. It is simply not effective to look at a single species in isolation; we must understand its relationships with other species and the environment in general. The School for Field Studies (SFS) on South Caicos has therefore initiated research into apex predator species such as barracuda and sharks, in the hope that it will shed some light on the importance of these fish in maintaining the health of the local ecosystem and, ultimately, the local commercial fisheries.

To read the full article written by SFS-CMRS faculty member Dr. Aaron Henderson, visit Times of the Islands Magazine.

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