Sharks ‘critical’ to restoring damaged ecosystems, finds study

Research in Australian bay shows absence of apex predators can exacerbate extreme climate damage

Sharks are critical in helping ecosystems recover from extreme climatic events, according to a new study.

The conclusions came after scientists were able to determine the importance of the apex predator to a unique ecosystem following an extreme marine heatwave in 2011, which wiped out a quarter of one of the world's largest and most biodiverse seagrass meadows in Shark Bay, Western Australia.