A 20-year study in South Africa revealed that the decline of Great White Sharks disrupted marine ecosystems.

• Their disappearance led to cascading food web imbalances, impacting multiple species.
  

About Great White Shark

• The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is the largest known predatory fish in the world.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• Global Distribution: It is found in temperate coastal waters, including the USA, South Africa, Australia, and Japan.

Key Adaptations

• Regional endothermy: Maintains a warmer body temperature than surrounding water.
• Serrated teeth: Ideal for cutting through prey.
• Extraordinary Sense of Smell
• • It can detect a seal colony two miles away.
  • It can sense one drop of blood in 100 liters of water.
• Torpedo-shaped body: Enhances speed and agility in water.
• Food Habits: It hunts seals, dolphins, and fish.
  • It possesses 300 teeth but does not chew food , it swallows large chunks instead.
• Hunting Technique: Uses a surprise attack approach, ambushing prey from below at high speed.
  • Often breaches the surface while attacking.
• Reproduction: Ovoviviparous species: Embryos develop inside eggs within the mother’s body and hatch before birth.
• Gestation period: Approximately 11 months.

Ecological Role

• Top Predator: Regulates populations of prey species like seals and mid-sized sharks.
• Indicator Species: The health of Great White Sharks reflects marine ecosystem stability.

Cascade Effect 

• Impact of Great White Shark Disappearance: Increase in Cape Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) and Sevengill Sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus).
• Consequences:
  • It led to decline in fish populations that seals feed on.
  • Decrease in smaller shark species which are preyed upon by sevengill sharks.
    

Conservation Importance

• The study emphasizes the need for global shark conservation to maintain marine biodiversity.
• Protecting large sharks ensures ocean health, food security, and ecological balance.