Overfishing is the result of poor fisheries management and occurs when fish are removed faster than they can be replaced resulting in population declines in some cases beyond recoverable levels. A global estimate of fish stocks by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that roughly 30% of assessed fish stocks are unsustainably sourced contributing to global declines in fish population (FAO, 2020). Overfishing is the primary cause of shark population declines worldwide. Scientists estimate that each year 100 million sharks are removed from our oceans and much of this haul is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (Save Our Seas Foundation, n.d.). The fishing pressure on sharks, combined with their slow rate of reproduction, means that they are being overfished and populations are declining at an alarming rate. 

Marine pollution comes in many forms such as plastics/human trash, drilling/mining, nutrient pollution/eutrophication, and noise/light pollution all impact our world's oceans (Knowlton, 2020). Ocean pollution is a major challenge for marine conservation and has impacted the most remote regions of the world with microplastics being found in the Mariana trench and other debris washing up in remote islands across the world. With an estimated 26 billion pounds of plastic dumped into the oceans every year, it's thought that by 2050 ocean plastic will outweigh the fish in the ocean (Conservation International, n.d.) . Other pollution like nutrients from agricultural runoff also impacts marine environments causing massive dead zones that kill vast amounts of organisms by decreasing the amount of oxygen in the water. Marine predators like Oceanic whitetips can acquire high amounts of chemicals and microplastics due to bioaccumulation. Whitetips have also been found to eat plastics and other trash mistaking it for food, causing reduced health or mortality (Knowlton, 2020). 

Climate change is a result of human industrialization and the release of excess greenhouse gasses such as CO2 and Methane which are causing changes in the atmosphere and altering the global climate. This has many impacts on marine life and is contributing to habitat loss and harming coral reef systems that are valuable for many organisms. The increase in greenhouse gasses is also contributing to ocean acidification which is altering marine chemical concentrations and calcification processes needed for many ocean animals. Global changes in climate and the oceans have a large impact on marine life, altering habitat use and migration patterns (Knowlton, 2020). 

Human conflicts with sharks take on many different forms but all focus on predation and competition. In modern times sharks have become a symbol of fear for humans due to media portrayals and negative public perceptions, leading to a cultural disregard for their protection (Acuña-Marrero et al., 2018). Not only are sharks feared for their potential to harm humans but are also commonly seen as a competitor for fishing resources. This further adds to the conflicts between humans and sharks especially when dealing with fishing pressure (Simpfendorfer et al., 2021). Much like the wolves of North America sharks have been hunted for sport and killed for being seen as a threat and nuisance to humans . But unlike many land predator sharks have an added factor of economic enticement that continues to incentivize their removal (Heupel et al., 2014). Sharks are also commonly caught for food consumption as well as for luxury use of fins and novelty products. The market value of sharks for these products along with the misconceptions of sharks as threats to humans creates a challenge for conservation. Only recently has shark research begun to learn the value of marine predators and the important ecological role they play.