These Endangered Marine Animals Need Your Help

_Elsa_

We all love the ocean and the incredibly diverse array of wildlife that grace its waters, but not many people may realize just how threatened many of our ocean’s animals truly are. From whales and sea turtles to sharks and seals, there’s an ocean of risk out there when it comes to these animal’s ability to survive. Using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, a leading assessment, classification and ranking system for wildlife population vulnerability, I’ve gathered information on just five of the world’s endangered marine species as of May 2019. The IUCN ranks species on a 9-point scale demonstrating a species’ threat of extinction, which can be viewed below:

All of the species in this article are classified as Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (EN).   Being some of the most iconic marine species around, some of these animals may surprise you.

North Atlantic Right Whale - One of the most critically endangered populations of large whales in the world, the estimated number of remaining North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) has fallen to less than 450 individuals. Found primarily in the northeast Atlantic, this species was aggressively exploited by whalers for their oil and blubber stores for hundreds of years. While legislation like the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) have thankfully helped protected species like this right whale since the 1970s, they’re still incredibly prone to fishing gear entanglement and ship collisions. Protecting these whales through multifaceted initiatives must continue to be a priority in order for this species to thrive.

Hawaiian Monk Seal - One of the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals, the Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) faces numerous threats today, from disease to fishing gear entanglement and even food availability. While there are multiple protections in place to protect this species, their numbers are still struggling. There’s estimated to be only around 1,400 individuals left in the wild, and their favorite hangout spots (sandy beaches and reefs just off the shore) are frequently littered with plastic pollution. Exclusively found in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, these animals need trash-free environments to help keep them from going extinct. Similar population patterns were followed with their cousins, Mediterranean monk seals and Caribbean monk seals. There are only a few hundred left in the Mediterranean, and sadly, the Caribbean’s monk seal population went extinct over forty years ago. We can’t let this happen to the Hawaiian monk seal!

Hammerhead Shark - One of the most recognizable of all sharks, hammerheads (Sphyrnidae) are actually classified into nine different species—the majority of which are facing threats to their survival. Currently, the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) and scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) are both listed as endangered, and the smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) is listed as Vulnerable (VU). Hammerheads face many threats that other shark species do, too, such as entanglement in marine debris and being caught as bycatch. Their livers are also harvested for oils that are an ingredient in some vitamins today, and quite sadly, they’re still hunted for their fins for shark fin soup. When their fins are removed, the sharks are dumped back into the water, unable to continue to swim and ultimately die. Without sharks, the food chains in marine ecosystems become wildly imbalanced, and we truly do need these species to thrive in order for our ocean to be truly healthy! ’ (Source)

Tiffi is amazed at how much she is learning about the ocean and the endangered species.

Let’s continue - More endangered marine animals

Back to the beginning - Tiffi learns about the Ocean Ecosystem