The Angel Shark Project: Protecting the sand dwelling Sharks
Angel Shark
Divers measuring an angel shark
To learn more or get involved please check their sites:
The angel shark is one of the most endangered sharks in the world, and its survival depends on something most people never think about: clean, undisturbed sand. Angel sharks are the masters of the hidden ecosystem that exists just beneath the seafloor. They don’t swim in the open blue, they live within the sand. They rely on it for everything: hunting, resting, and raising their young. But their survival depends on something most of us never think about: clean, undisturbed sand.
When dredgers tear up the seafloor for coastal development or the construction of artificial islands, the sand loses its structure. It becomes a suffocating cloud that drifts for miles, burying the creatures that lived between the grains and dark water. For the Angel shark it’s the destruction of their nursery. When the sand becomes unstable or disappears, so do they.
The Angel Shark Project
This week as we dive into the global value of sand, we are highlighting the work of the Angel Shark Project in the Canary Islands. They are one of the few groups on Earth brave enough to focus on a single overlooked species to save an entire ecosystem. Their mission is simple but powerful: Protect the sand, protect the shark.
What they do:
They map the nurseries identifying the exact sandy bays where baby angel sharks are born so we can demand they stay dredge free. Monitoring the clouds documenting how sediment levels from nearby construction projects are affecting shark health. They work with the community, partnering with local fishers to reduce accidental captures and ensure these ghosts of the seafloor can roam safely.
We often think of the ocean as a powerful, indestructible force. But it is delicate. It remembers every grain of sand we take. By protecting the angel shark, we aren’t just saving one fish, we are protecting the very foundation of the ocean floor.
