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The whale shark, the world\u2019s largest fish, consumes plankton and poses no threat to humans. (SPA)<\/p>\n
\n\tRIYADH: World Shark Day is drawing attention to the crucial role sharks play in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, with the Red Sea providing an important refuge for several species, including the endangered whale shark, according to a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency.<\/p>\n
\n\tOne of the Red Sea\u2019s most significant marine habitats lies at Shi\u2019b Habil, a submerged coral reef about four kilometers off the coast of Al-Lith Governorate, nearly 200 kilometers south of Jeddah.<\/p>\n
\n\tEach year during April and May, warming waters and abundant plankton attract seasonal gatherings of whale sharks to the reef, creating one of the world\u2019s best-documented aggregation sites for the species.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe site gained international scientific prominence after a local dive operator guided researchers to the waters off Al-Lith, leading to a series of studies documenting the unique seasonal congregation.<\/p>\n
\n\tRare seasonal gathering<\/p>\n
\n\tResearchers say Shi\u2019b Habil stands out for the distinctly seasonal nature of its whale shark aggregation and for its unusually balanced mix of male and female sharks \u2014 a rare characteristic among whale shark aggregation sites worldwide, where one sex typically dominates.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe whale shark, the world\u2019s largest fish, is a gentle filter feeder that consumes plankton and poses no threat to humans.<\/p>\n
The whale shark, the world\u2019s largest fish, consumes plankton and poses no threat to humans. (SPA)<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Red Sea is home to a diverse range of shark species, including gray reef sharks and hammerheads, alongside whale sharks.<\/p>\n
\n\tFar from being merely part of the marine landscape, sharks are regarded as key indicators of ecosystem health. As apex predators, many species help regulate prey populations, maintain ecological balance and support the long-term health of coral reef ecosystems.<\/p>\n
\n\tTheir continued presence is considered an important measure of the condition of the marine environment.<\/p>\n
\n\tConservation efforts<\/p>\n
\n\tSPA said scientific research and regulatory measures are playing a central role in protecting sharks and their habitats while ensuring sustainable use of marine resources.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Saudi Red Sea Authority oversees efforts to balance marine tourism and recreational activities with the conservation of fragile ecosystems that support whale sharks and other marine life.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe whale shark\u2019s annual return to the Red Sea highlights the importance of preserving marine biodiversity and strengthening scientific and regulatory initiatives to safeguard the region\u2019s marine environment for future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RIYADH: World Shark Day is drawing attention to the crucial role sharks play in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552162,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[61,60,82],"class_list":["post-552161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}