On April 4, 2011, COMPASS organized a luncheon briefing on the sometimes surprising roles in ocean ecosystems of top predators, such as sharks. Dr. Stuart Sandin from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dr. Francesco Ferretti from Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University, presented their work to an audience of policymakers and others in Sacramento. Dr. Sandin discussed research that demonstrates the surprising ways in which predators help make fisheries more productive, contribute to the health of ecosystems, and buffer against disturbance. Dr.
