Endangered Animals in the Ocean

There are three-hundred and sixty-eight species of marine animals on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list, a list of animals that are either endangered or vulnerable to becoming endangered.

Endangered Species

Of the animals on the red list, ninety-five of them are considered endangered and of those ninety-five species, forty-one are considered critically endangered.

Major Species

Some major, recognizable marine species that are endangered are the loggerhead turtle, the blue whale and the hooded seal. For these three animals, as with most endangered marine animals, the biggest threat has been hunters. However, hunters are not the only threat.

Climate Change

Climate change makes waters warmer and warm water has less oxygen. This forces animals dependent on the ocean for their oxygen supply to relocate to diminishing cooler waters.

Chemistry and Currents

Climate change also changes the chemistry in ocean water and alters the ocean's currents. These changes affect the entire range of ocean life, from the most basic organisms up.

Other Causes

Overfishing and pollution are large causes of endangered species. Seventy percent or more of the waters around the world are over-fished. Pollution not only contaminates the water but can produce oxygen depleting bacteria.

References

• Marine Conservation
• World Wildlife Federation: Our Endangered Oceans
• Endangered Animals of the World

Resources

• MarineBio: Marine Biology and Conservation