The world's oceans are home to an exquisite variety of sharks and rays, from the largest fishes in the sea ' the majestic whale shark and manta rays ' to the luminescent but rarely seen deep-water lantern shark and guitarfishes. The oceans were once teeming with these extraordinary and ancient species, which evolved close to half a billion years ago. However, the past half-century has posed one of the greatest tests yet to their survival. Overfishing, habitat loss and international trade have cut their numbers, putting many species on a path toward extinction within our lifetimes. Sharks have had a rough ride since the 1970s, when overfishing, habitat loss and international trade in fins, oil and other body parts of these enigmatic sea dwellers began to affect their sensitive populations. The 1975 movie 'Jaws' and its portrayal of a great white shark as a mindless killing machine didn't help people's perceptions. One reason shark populations are so vulnerable to overfishing, and...
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