Sharks are not the first species to be endangered, and they unfortunately won't be the last.

But in terms of their conservation, we cannot turn to methods we have used on other species. Why? Because of the ocean.

Take elephants for an example

Elephants have been endangered for quite a while due to ivory trade and habitat loss. Along with regulations and laws protecting them, there are many well known sanctuaries. This is the case for other endangered land animals.

The issue with the sanctuary method of conservation is that it really can only apply to land. The ocean covers 70% of the entire world, with 80% of it still unexplored. It is hard to put sanctuaries in places that have yet to be discovered. What this means for marine life conservation is that we cannot designate areas to specifically monitor some species.

Sharks swim around 50 miles per day.

It would be impossible to create a conserved area that is that big. The closest thing that we have to sanctuaries is marine protected areas (MPAs). They are specific areas that are managed with laws to protect the ecosystem. While protecting the area is important, specific species cannot be strictly contained, thus making marine life conservation harder.

Because of this we have to rely heavier on regulations that focus on overfishing, bycatch, and other marine life conservation.

Knowing the complexities that go along with marine life conservation is important for knowing how to act further. Sharks are a major factor in the ocean ecosystem, and staying informed on how you can help is imperative to their survival.