South Africa’s great white shark may be under threat, and while that may be music to the ears of anyone terrified by the movie Jaws, this actually may have dire consequences for the balance of the local ecosystem.

More than 90% of South Africa’s great white sharks share the same genetic sequence, threatening their genetic diversity and the future of the unique type of great white found in South Africa’s waters, according to research out of Stellenbosch University.

Great white sharks are “important for the balance in the ecosystem”, says Dr Sara Andreotti, who undertook the research as part of her PhD. “They get rid of sick individuals from other species and they maintain a balance in the population numbers.”

 

For more, find the full article — first published on Htxt Africa — here.