Coral Reefs and Shark Extinction

            That question keeps ringing in my head for the last few weeks after studying about sharks and their importance to the marine ecosystem. I may not have all the answers, yet, but I am pretty much excited and anxious to know the results. When we hear or see the words coral reefs and sharks, we get an idea that it has everything to do with our coral reef and sharks. The only thing we all know about sharks is that they're scary due to the fact that they're the main predators of the ocean. Since the Marshall Islands is surrounded by our beautiful coral reef, it's really important to know what would happen to us if our coral reef would are dead? Before going any further, we should really ask our self a few good questions.
             What is a coral reef ecosystem?.
             A coral reef ecosystem is a diverse collection or various forms of species that interact with each other which rely on the sun's energy. The coral reef ecosystem is the home to many marine animals that shelters them from well-known predators such as the sharks and other bigger fish. Our coral reef ecosystem not only provides home and protection, but also provides food. The kind of food that most small fish feed on is algae which grow on the coral reef. The coral reef uses the sun's energy to produce algae (food for small fish and such). The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is lucky it's surrounded by beautiful and colorful coral reef. This is what our islands are made up of. .
             What is a shark?.
             A shark is a fish that is made up of cartilage skeletons and has gills on the side of its head used for breathing. Though many of us are afraid of sharks, they are very important to the coral reef ecosystem. Sharks are always swimming around the coral reef hunting for food (small fish). Since our islands are surrounded by corals, we know for sure that there are many sharks around. Sharks feed on smaller fish such as groupers and snappers to name some, are responsible for balancing and controlling the population growth by removing the sick or weak fish from the population.