‘Extinction crisis’ of sharks and rays to have devastating effect on other species, study finds

Almost two-thirds of sharks and rays living on world's coral reefs at risk, with 14 of 134 species reviewed critically endangered

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Almost two-thirds of sharks and rays that live around the world's coral reefs are threatened with extinction with potentially dire knock-on effects for ecosystems and coastal communities, according to new research.

Overfishing was the main cause of the declines over the past half a century, with larger sharks and rays being particularly hard hit.

Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup