Almost two out of every three shark or ray species living in coral reefs are at risk of disappearing from the world forever

The alarming study has just been published in Nature Communications. It finds, except for marine mammals, these coral sharks and rays are more likely to go extinct than any other group in the world.

The usual culprits have been found to be behind this tragic state of affairs; overfishing, habitat loss and climate change.

Bluespotted lagoon ray.

There is a glimmer of hope amid the findings. The ray (above) is the only coral reef shark or ray with an increasing population trend.

Lead photo: Bull sharks in Fiji. Photos by Colin Simpfendorfer. This widely-distributed species is among the most at risk of extinction.

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Larry Powell

I’m a veteran eco-journalist living in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. I have a life-long love of wildlife & natural places. After working for radio and TV stations for about 30 years, I've turned to science writing as a freelancer specializing in the Earth Sciences. I’m a member of the Science Writers & Communicators of Canada and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I’m authorized to receive embargoed material through the Science Media Centre of Canada, the Royal Society, NatureResearch and the World Health Organization. This allows me advance access to important, peer-reviewed research often warning of habitat loss and the threat of extinction facing many wild species, usually thanks to human intrusion and intervention by the hand of man. They then often become "hot-off-the-press" stories which are ready to publish the moment the embargoes are lifted. I publish www.PlanetInPeril.ca (PinP) "Where Science Gets Respect." I own professional photographic gear and am sometimes able to enhance my stories with my own images.