Roles, risks and refugia: Spatial ecology, ecosystem function and vulnerability of reef sharks in the central Indian Ocean

Reef sharks are typically the largest and most mobile members of the predator guild on coral reefs, but widespread declines suggest that we may be at risk of losing the ecosystem services they provide. My thesis examined the ecology and vulnerability of two widely distributed reef sharks in the context of growing global fishing pressure and changing climate. I used fisheries and tag-based data to investigate inter- and intraspecific differences in spatial ecology as it relates to fishing and changes in the temperature and oxygen content of the oceans, highlighting the need for strengthened spatial protections for reef sharks.