In 2015, Paul Allen launched a shark survey across 58 countries; 20% of reefs lacked sharks

In 2015, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen launched Global FinPrint, a global survey that eventually deployed thousands of underwater cameras across coral reefs in 58 countries. The project was led by researchers at Florida International University and funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, with more than 120 researchers across the western Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific and the Central Pacific. In total, more than 400 reefs were surveyed across 58 countries and territories, producing over 20,000 hours of footage. The study published in Nature, titled ‘Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks’, showed that sharks were absent from nearly 20% of the reefs surveyed. The study linked this depletion to socio-economic factors including market proximity, poor governance, and population density, while also identifying shark sanctuaries, catch limits and marine protected areas as measures associated with higher shark abundance.What did the underwater cameras reveal about reef sharksRather than using divers to conduct visual counts, the project relied on baited remote underwater video systems, or BRUVS According to Global FinPrint, researchers "usually se...