Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen is on a mission to save the world’s sharks, and he’s found some lurking in unexpected places

hammerhead shark galapagos
There are populations of hammerheads near the Galapagos, but researchers had thought they were mostly gone from the Caribbean. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Something like 100 million sharks are pulled from the sea each year for their fins and meat, according to researchers' best estimates, putting more than a quarter of shark and ray species at risk of extinction.

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This is not a good thing, contrary to what certain summer blockbusters might have you thinking.

Sharks are keystone species that are essential for healthy reefs and oceans. But there's still so much we don't know about how many of these creatures are out there and how exactly their populations affect the underwater ecosystem. 

The Global FinPrint project aims to change that.

FinPrint is a research effort run by an international team and largely funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen that's trying to take a global snapshot of shark and ray populations at reefs around the world.

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"The first step is to figure out what’s out there, where it is, and to get a sense of how many sharks and rays should be in an area," says Mike Heithaus, a marine scientist and dean of the Florida International University College of Arts, Sciences & Education, who is one of the core researchers for Global FinPrint.

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Seeing shark populations at reefs will help researchers figure out just how crucial they are to these hotbeds of marine life.

 

"We suspect they are critical," says Heithaus.

Palmyra Atoll Coral Reef
A cure for cancer might be found here Jim Maragos/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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In Western Australia, researchers have noticed that without sharks, seagrass that captures carbon and is home to many animals dies, destroying the ecosystem. Similar things may happen with reefs.

global finprint shark
Global FinPrint/Vimeo
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To study sharks at reefs, they set up baited remote underwater video cameras, or "BRUVs."

The all-important #bait cutting task #heresharkysharky #Maldives #womeninscience

A photo posted by Global FinPrint (@globalfinprint) on May 31, 2016 at 6:17am PDT

 

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Shark swim up to the tasty chum and get captured on camera.

Tiger shark Global FinPrint
Global FinPrint/Vimeo
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Hey there!

 

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So far, some findings are expected. "The middle of the Pacific looks a whole lot 'sharkier' than much of the Caribbean," where habitat loss and overfishing have devastated populations, says Heithaus.

global finprint shark
Global FinPrint/Vimeo

But they've found surprises too, including hammerheads and tiger sharks still living in the Caribbean, like this fellow — this is good news, as it shows some key species are still around.

hammerhead global finprint
Global FinPrint/Vimeo
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Still, we know that the fishing and shark fin trades have dangerously endangered many species.

shark fins
Still, we know that the fishing and shark fin trades have dangerously endangered many species. Still, we know that the fishing and shark fin trades have dangerously endangered many species.
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Paul Allen's company Vulcan is creating software that can process the potentially tens of thousands of hours of footage that Global FinPrint plans on making available to the public.

Check out this baby tiger #shark! #tinytiger #gopro #count2save

A video posted by Global FinPrint (@globalfinprint) on Feb 21, 2016 at 5:55pm PST

 

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That'll help them process the data, count sharks, and get people around the world involved.

Our team of #globalfinprint interns and volunteers at @stonybrooku helping in our efforts to survey #sharks and #rays of the world's oceans!

A photo posted by Global FinPrint (@globalfinprint) on Dec 3, 2015 at 1:18pm PST

 

They've started setting up cameras at the 400 reefs they're initially studying. They hope to expand to more than 1,000 reefs eventually.

Shark Global FinPrint
Global FinPrint/Vimeo
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And then we'll get to see what's living under the sea where — and what we can do to replicate successful places and help populations rebound.

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Check out this video from one of the baited cameras.

Global FinPrint Begins from Global FinPrint on Vimeo.

 

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Bye!

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