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Threatened and Endangered Species

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The following are the 620 marine animal species or species populations on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as of 1-13-10 listed as either Extinct, Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable. Near Threatened, Least Concern and those listed as Data Deficient have been excluded though they are likely to end up on this list in the future.Endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis

These are just the marine species known to be in trouble and are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, based on how little we currently know about life in the ocean. Click a species' scientific name for the IUCN Red List species page and its version link for a page describing the associated species-specific codes. Linked bolded common names represent existing species home pages on marinebio.org.

If you would like to help create home pages for those below (especially the groupers, skates, corals and marine birds), please email us at info@marinebio.org

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MLA Citation: "". MarineBio.org. <http://www.marinebio.org/oceans/red-list-species.asp?>. Note: If no author is given under the main page title, simply cite MarineBio.org.

MarineBio Conservation SocietyEndangered Animal News   :: ScienceDaily

Nearly one tenth of hemisphere's mammals unlikely to outrun climate change

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere's mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won't move swiftly enough to outpace climate change. In particular, many of the hemisphere's species of primates -- including tamarins, spider monkeys, marmosets and howler monkeys, some of which are already considered threatened or endangered -- will be hard-pressed to outpace climate change.

The gut could reveal effect of climate change on fish

As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.

New species of fish in Sweden

Reticulated dragonet have been found in Väderöarna -- "Weather Islands" -- off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden.

Absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests

The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. Experts have confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them. Megaherbivores act as the 'gardeners' of humid tropical forests: They are vital to forest regeneration and maintain its structure and biodiversity, researchers say.

One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction

Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. Scientists report that 20 species are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species are near "threatened" status.

A 'cousin' of the giant panda lived in what is now Zaragoza, Spain

Scientists have found a new ursid fossil species in the area of Nombrevilla in Zaragoza, Spain. Agriarctos beatrix was a small plantigrade omnivore and was genetically related to giant pandas, according to researchers.

Rare glimpse of world's rarest gorilla

Conservationists working in Cameroon's Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary have collected the first camera trap video footage of the Cross River gorilla. With fewer than 250 individuals remaining, Cross River gorillas are the world's rarest gorilla and a notoriously elusive species rarely observed directly by field researchers.

Not always safety in numbers when it comes to extinction risk

A basic tenet underpinning scientists' understanding of extinction is that more abundant species persist longer than their less abundant counterparts. A new study reveals a much more complex relationship. A team of scientists analyzed more than 46,000 fossils from 52 sites and found that greater numbers did indeed help clam-like brachiopods survive the Ordovician extinction. Surprisingly, abundance did not help brachiopod species persist for extended periods outside of the extinction event.

Weed-eating fish 'help protect jobs, livelihoods'

Jobs, livelihoods and ecotourism industries can benefit from having a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world's coral reefs, marine researchers say. Despite their small size, relative to the sharks, whales, and turtles that often get more attention, herbivorous fish play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide, say researchers.

Taking America's rarest snake back to the woods

Biologists have released seven young Louisiana pine snakes on a restored longleaf pine stand in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. The release is the fourth in two years, part of a plan to restore a very rare snake to its range in Louisiana.

Endangered species, languages linked at high biodiversity regions

Biodiversity hot spots -- the world's biologically richest and most threatened locations on Earth -- and high biodiversity wilderness areas -- biologically rich but less threatened -- are some of the most linguistically diverse regions on our planet, according to a team of conservationists.

Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation

Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, results of a new study show.

Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation

Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, a new University of Minnesota study shows. The unprecedented long-term study of plant biodiversity found that each species plays a role in maintaining a productive ecosystem, especially when a long time horizon is considered.

Ecosystem effects of biodiversity loss rival climate change and pollution

Loss of biodiversity appears to affect ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution and other major forms of environmental stress, according to results of a new study.

Ecosystem effects of biodiversity loss could rival impacts of climate change, pollution

Loss of biodiversity appears to impact ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution and other major forms of environmental stress, according to a new study. There has been growing concern that the very high rates of modern extinctions -- due to habitat loss, overharvesting and other human-caused environmental changes -- could reduce nature's ability to provide goods and services like food, clean water and a stable climate.

Gas development linked to wildlife habitat loss

Intense development of the two largest natural gas fields in the continental U.S. are driving away some wildlife from their traditional wintering grounds, new research shows.

Were dinosaurs undergoing long-term decline before mass extinction?

Despite years of intensive research about the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs about 65.5 million years ago, a fundamental question remains: Were dinosaurs already undergoing a long-term decline before an asteroid hit at the end of the Cretaceous? A new study suggests that in general, large-bodied, "bulk-feeding" herbivores were declining during the last 12 million years of the Cretaceous. But carnivorous dinosaurs and mid-sized herbivores were not.

Twenty-four new species of lizards discovered on Caribbean islands are close to extinction

Twenty-four new species of lizards known as skinks have been discovered on Caribbean islands, half of which already may be extinct or close to extinction. The loss of many skink species can be attributed primarily to predation by the mongoose -- a predatory mammal that was introduced by farmers. Other types of human activity, especially the removal of forests, also are to blame, according to the researchers.

First camera trap photos of rare leopard in China

The first-known camera trap photos of an Amur leopard in China have recently been taken in Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province.

Diversity aided mammals' survival over deep time

The first study of how mammals in North America adapted to climate change in "deep time" found that families with greater diversity were more stable and maintained larger ranges than less diverse families.

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