URI_Research _Magazine_Momentum_Spring_2020_Melissa-McCarthy

predators, prey species may reproduce and grow unchecked. “Sharks’ reputation is they’re the garbage cans of the ocean, which means they’re interacting with many different species,” he says. “So, for example, if the shark population declines, the octopus population might explode and eat many more lobsters. Or, if big sharks get fished out, there may be a proliferation of small sharks, which will eat many commercial fish.

“The loss of sharks is bound to have a big influence on the ocean well beyond what we might imagine.” Some marine species spend most of their time in U.S. waters, so our country is the only one managing those fisheries. But for highly migratory species like sharks, which Wetherbee calls a fish without a country, the need exists for international cooperation. However, sharks tend to draw considerably less interest for management than, say, tuna, a catch

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