Endangered Sea Species

Six species of sea turtles are considered endangered.

Both government and non-government agencies track endangered sea species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature monitors and tracks information about endangered species in a variety of habitats. The IUCN's Red List is considered a a global standard for identifying endangered species. In the United States, the Office of Protected Resources monitors and tracks information about endangered sea species under the Endangered Species Act. The OPR establishes recovery plans for endangered sea species. These endangered marine animals can be categorized as mammals, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates.

Mammals

One endangered sea species is the humpback whale.

Certain types of whales, seals and sea lions are endangered mammals, according to the OPR and the IUCN. The grey whale is one of 15 cetaceans on the OPR list. The IUCN has classified the grey whale as critically endangered, meaning there are fewer than 250 mature adults alive, and at most 35 reproductive females. Five pinnipeds appear on the OPR endangered sea species list: the Guadalupe fur seal, the Hawaiian monk seal, the Mediterranean monk seal, the Saimaa seal and the Steller sea lion.

Turtles

High speed vessels can put endangered species at risk.

Six species of sea turtles are considered endangered, according t othe OPR: the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, the Kemp's Riley turtle, the leatherback turtle, the loggerhead turtle and the olive ridley turtle. Vessel strikes, entanglement in marine debris and unintentional capture in fishing equipment constitute the major threats to endangered sea turtles. Because of the turtles' extensive migration, efforts to recover the species require international cooperation.

Fish

Garbage in the sea can harm marine species.

The IUCN lists six diverse species of marine fish as endangered or critically endangered. The endangered species are the Dusky Grouper and the Madagascar meagre; the critically endangered species are the Chinese bahaba, strawberry grouper, goliath grouper and war grouper. In the U.S., the ESA protects Pacific salmon.

Invertebrates

Reef building coral are endangered.

Mollusks and coral make up the list of endangered sea invertebrates. Overharvesting has put the mollusk abalone at risk, while reef-building coral populations suffer from diverse factors such as disease, habitat degradation, hurricanes, pollution and invasive algae. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association monitors coral around the world in its work to help improve and sustain coral reef health.

References

• NOAA Fisheries: Marine Mammals
• NOAA Fisheries: Marine Turtles
• NOAA Fisheries: Marine Fish
• NOAA Fisheries: Invertebrates
• IUCN: Red List Overview
• IUCN: Eschrichtius robustus

Resources

• IUCN: Red List Search