One shark's odyssey across thousands of kilometers of ocean has alerted scientists to the importance of international cooperation regarding marine animal survival.
In a recent study, the adult female silky shark — nicknamed "Genie" — was tagged with a satellite transmitter north of the Galapagos Marine Reserve in July 2021.
The shark traveled more than 17,000 miles in 546 days, per Save Our Seas Foundation. Her journey was equivalent to crossing the United States coast-to-coast about four times, and it shattered the previous movement record by nearly sixfold.
Two of Genie's migrations extended west into international waters, as far as 2,954 miles from the tagging site. Per Save Our Seas Foundation, these waters are areas of "high fishing pressure and minimal regulation."
Silky sharks are named for their smooth hide, According to Save Our Seas Foundation, they are "particularly vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth, late maturity, and the high demand in the global shark fin trade."
Over 99% of Genie's journey occurred within international waters, highlighting the kind of global cooperation necessary to protect these vulnerable sharks.
Sharks play a critical role in the ecosystem, as they maintain the species below them in the food chain and serve as an indicator of overall ocean health, per Oceana. Loss of sharks has led to declines in coral reefs, seagrass beds, and commercial fisheries — which are all necessary for the overall well-being of humans and the rest of the planet.
Dr. Pelayo Salinas de León, the study's lead author, said in a press release that understanding the migration of silky sharks will be crucial in intercepting ongoing and global population declines.
"Sharks have been roaming the world's oceans for hundreds of millions of years, and the map boundaries we humans have established on paper mean nothing to them," he said. "Their long migrations through heavily fished international waters expose them to significant risks, highlighting the need for a coordinated global response to ensure the survival of this highly threatened group of species."
Conservation efforts are necessary to protect the silky shark, as well as other at-risk species inhabiting land and sea.
Luckily, there are many success stories to learn from. The California red-legged frog is thriving at a 2,000-acre wildland reserve, and global bans on commercial whaling have brought sei whales back to Argentina's Patagonian coast.
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