Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen is on a mission to save the world's sharks, and he's found some lurking in unexpected places

Something like 100 million sharks are pulled from the sea each year for their fins and meat, according to researchers' best estimates, putting more than a quarter of shark and ray species at risk of extinction.

This is not a good thing, contrary to what certain summer blockbusters might have you thinking.

Sharks are keystone species that are essential for healthy reefs and oceans. But there's still so much we don't know about how many of these creatures are out there and how exactly their populations affect the underwater ecosystem. 

The Global FinPrint project aims to change that.

FinPrint is a research effort run by an international team and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen that's trying to take a global snapshot of shark and ray populations at reefs around the world.

"The first step is to figure out what's out there, where it is, and to get a sense of how many sharks and rays should be in an area," says Mike Heithaus, a marine scientist and dean of the Florida International University College of Arts, Sciences & Education, who is one of the core researchers for Global FinPrint.