Coral reefs are healthier if more sharks are present

Sharks play a key role in regulating the health of a coral reef by eliminating predators that prey on the small fish that keep the coral healthy, according to an Australian study released recently.

Higher numbers of sharks off the country's remote north-west coast – versus the north-east, where the Great Barrier Reef is – suggest that "sharks play a key role in regulating the health of coral reefs," the University of Western Australia said in a statement.