Sharks are among the most feared creatures of the seas -- one of the few human predators.

But a major scientific study to be released Wednesday says sharks are to the oceans what buffalo were to the Great Plains -- a dwindling species on the brink of extinction.

The study, funded by the Miami-based Pew Institute for Ocean Science, says the number of sharks are in steep decline, and that the declines are far worse than previously thought.

"A lot of people are afraid of sharks, but the statistics show sharks have more to fear from us than we do from them," said the institute's Ellen Pikitch.

The study also says less than 1 percent of the population remains of one key kind of shark: the oceanic white tip.

Renowned biologist Ransom Myers, who co-authored the study, said research from the Gulf of Mexico shows the population of the oceanic white tipped shark has declined by more than 99 percent over the last 50 years and that there are now just seven white tips for every 1,000 that once existed.

"Fish declines have been observed throughout the world," Myers said on Tuesday. "What's remarkable about this is the extent, and how rapid the decline was."

Most ocean-going sharks are targets of shark fishing, fueled by the market for shark fin soup. Myers believes the main cause of the sharks' decline is over-fishing, especially sharks caught up in long line fishing, even though they're not the intended catch.

"What we're seeing here with oceanic white tips and silky sharks is symptomatic of what's happening around the world ... basically that there's no management," Pikitch said.

"In Florida, shark fishing is prevalent and we enjoy an abundance of fish," said Myers, adding that sharks, who sit atop of the food chain, are important in keeping the balance.

"You cannot expect the diversity of fish in the waters around Florida to remain in good condition and the numbers to remain in good condition if you lose your top predator," Myers said. "This is one of the top predators you've lost."

The Pew Institute for Ocean Science is calling for more protections and better management of shark populations around the world.

---

You can get more info on the Pew Institute for Ocean Science study by writing to the institute here:

Pew Institute for Ocean Science
4600 Rickenbacher Causeway
Collier Building
Miami, FL 33149

You can also E-mail the study's authors and sponsors directly:

Julia Baum

Ransom Myers

Pew Ocean Institute

LINKS:

Pew Marine Fellows Program

Rosenstiel School Of Marine And Atmospheric Science

For data and graphs on over 700 fish populations, click here

For Jean Michel Cousteau's ocean conservation society, click here

For WildAid, a wildlife protection group, click here or write to WildAid at its San Francisco headquarters:

WildAid
450 Pacific Avenue, Suite 201
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: (415) 834-3174
Fax: (415) 834-1759
Email: info@wildaid.org