Why should sharks be a protected species? Have you ever been to the beach, or an aquarium? Chances are you have and this might mean you've seen a shark. Sharks are carnivorous aquatics that some people believe should be killed and finned, but sharks are just trying to survive like us and keep fish from overpopulation, keep the ocean healthy, and try to keep themselves from extinction. When we enter the ocean we enter another being's home, and while most live in our oceans, some even live in our rivers.

But every year over a million sharks are hunted and killed by humans. Sharks are an endangered species and The Guardian tells us “Almost two-thirds of sharks that live around the world's coral reefs are threatened with extinction.'' This is because of overfishing. When a shark is caught it has the chance to get its fins cut off and thrown back into the ocean to die of starvation, blood loss, or even be eaten by another carnivore. While some sharks have laws that protect them, most do not. Sharks are often caught for their fins and used to make a dish called shark fin soup. Although  shark finning is illegal in a lot of places there are still a few where it's permitted. Not every shark is endangered but most are, and even those that are not will most likely start being overfished, decreasing sharks population more than it already is. If sharks were to go extinct then our oceans ecosystem could fall out of balance,  and most schools of fish would be sick and weak from no predators targeting the sick fish, but while other animals may prey on weaker fish it's mainly sharks. By keeping fish from overpopulation it keeps coral reefs from becoming overgrazed, plus coral reefs and a few other of the oceans organisms produce oxygen, and if coral reefs die then the herbivores that feed on them die as well, this leads animals that eat those herbivores to die, and so the chain goes on as bigger animals die.  

 Sharks keep fish from overpopulation, and Seaworld says that “Many sharks prey most often on the weak, inferior members of the population. They select the weak, ill, injured, or dying prey because it is easier to catch” This leaves other fishes healthy and at less risk of spreading diseases to the fish we catch.  If sharks were to go extinct then our oceans ecosystem could fall out of balance,  and most schools of fish would be sick and weak from no predators targeting the sick fish, but while other animals may prey on weaker fish it's mainly sharks. By keeping fish from overpopulation it keeps coral reefs from becoming overgrazed, plus coral reefs and a few other of the oceans organisms produce oxygen, and if coral reefs die then the herbivores that feed on them die as well, this leads animals that eat those herbivores to die, and so the chain goes on as bigger animals die. Our oceans are an important place as they house many creatures and plants that help our lives even if we don't notice, sharks play a huge role in our ecosystems and keep it in check. Overpopulation can and will ruin the oceans ecosystems, and can cause our world to have less of certain materials or things they produce than we need. Sharks are apex predators that don't just keep fish from overpopulation but can also stop sharks from overpopulation, sharks will sometimes eat smaller sharks, and other predators such as orcas also eat sharks, sharks also eat smaller  predators if they get the chance, and yes while there are other predators; sharks still play a huge role in helping our oceans thrive and be safe from overgrazing and killing them, so if sharks aren't here our coral reefs become even more threatened and not just from pollution.

Sharks keep our oceans healthy, as I stated before they help coral reefs be protected from overgrazing, deep-sea sharks help recycle carbon by eating dead animals on the oceans floors this can assist stopping carbon from rising to the ocean's surface. Sharks also help to prevent algae overgrowth, they can also supply the ocean with vital nutrients sometimes just by expelling waste. And by consuming the sick fish it leaves healthy fish for us to eat. Plus, sharks have a low reproduction rate making it even harder to keep our oceans well and alive with how quickly both sharks and the ocean are dying. And while some may argue that sharks eat humans and deserve to be hunted, they are doing the exact same thing as us. Sharks are only trying to survive and we often get in the way by calling them monsters for following their instincts. This is why sharks deserve to be a protected species everywhere because without them our environment would be left overpopulated, and unhealthy.