How do sharks help marine ecosystems?
Asked by Diane from Kealakehe Elementary on Sep 29, 2002. Why is it GOOD that there are so many sharks in the NWHI? Why is the presence of apex predators an indication of the health of the ecosystem? Answered by Andy Collins, NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve on Sep 30, 2002. Sharks are a natural part of the marine ecosystem. Without apex predators, the fish that they feed on would become overpopulated and throw the whole system out of balance. Herbivores might eat too much algae, and coral eaters might eat too much reef. A healthy system is one in which all components are balanced: predators, herbivores, decomposers, and producers. What is so intriguing about the apex predator populations in the NWHI is that this is a healthy, natural ecosystem. Before, we didn’t have anything to compare the reefs in the main Hawaiian Islands to, since we didn’t know what a natural reef looked like! Now we can theorize that the main Hawaiian Island reefs used to look like the NWHI reefs. In fact, they
