THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST

Marine mammals



Marine mammals close to becoming an endangered species are categorized under threatened. These include: Eastern Stock of the Steller sea lion, Guadalupe fur seal, and the California sea Otter.


According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act or MMPA, species can also be called “depleted”. A depleted species is one whose numbers have dropped lower than the optimum sustainable population or OSP. The OSP is determined by whether the animals are reproducing in a healthy number that corresponds to the carrying capacity of the environment. When it is determined that a species has been depleted, the NMFS comes up with a plan to research factors involved and to bring the numbers back. Animals considered depleted are the North Atlantic Coastal bottlenose dolphin, the Eastern spinner dolphin, North Pacific fur seal, the Northeastern Offshore and Coastal spotted dolphins, and the Cook Inlet beluga whale. More information is being collected on “species of concern” which include the Cook Inlet Beluga whale and the orca (killer whale). The Eastern Pacific gray whale has been recovered by the Endangered Species Act and was actually taken off the list. The Steller’s Sea cow was lost forever shortly before the MMPA and ESA were implemented.






Pinnipeds are seals, sea lions or walruses but are taxonomically relatives of bears, dogs, raccoons, otters or weasels. The families under pinnipedia include Phocidae, Otariidae and Odobenidae which are earless seals, fur seals or sea lions, and walrus respectively. The main reason for the loss of many pinnipeds is the amount of commercial fishing that took place from the 1700's up to the 1900's. Other reasons include the development of coastline and lack of fish due to overfishing.


Another group of marine mammals affected by commercial hunting between the 1700's and the 1900's were the baleen whales. Populations of baleen whales are still low in numbers even though commercial hunting is now mostly illegal. Many whales are still being hit and killed by ships, particularly the critically endangered northern right whale. Whales are also tangled in fishing gear or marine garbage. Sometimes something as small as a party balloon can kill a whale by cutting off its digestive tract.




Marine invertebrates


Marine invertebrates and plants are currently listed under the “candidates or species of concern” category in the Endangered Species Act due to a lack of information or time. These include Brachiopods, Corals, Mollusks, and various plant life. Brachiopods are invertebrates that live on the seafloor and feed through a filter appendage. They are attached to objects in the ocean and resemble a clam. Brachiopods reached the peak of their numbers in the Paleozoic era and were reduced greatly during the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. The two classes or types of brachiopods are the Inarticulata and the Articulata. Reasons for decline in number of brachiopods include habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution and sediment accumulation, general vulnerability to stress, and small numbers.






Corals are made of invertebrate polyps and are either hard or soft. They have been around for 500 million years since the Cambrian period. Hard corals are composed of calcium carbonate and they live symbiotically with zooxanthellae, a type of phytoplankton. Soft corals have calcareous pieces of matter in their structure and are usually found independently in deeper waters. All corals are related to anemones, hydras or jellyfish. There is only one class of coral and that is Anthozoa. Subclasses include Alcyonaria, Ceriantipatharia, Hexacorallia, and Zoantharia. In consideration for endangered status are the Elkhorn coral, Staghorn, Ivory-bush, and Hawaiian reef corals (Order Scleractinia). Corals have declined drastically in numbers due to disease epidemics since the 80's, destruction of habitat, accumulation of sediment, a changing food chain resulting in increased predation, hurricanes, pollutants, alien species, invasive species like green algae, small numbers, fishing practices, and bleaching of corals due to temperature changes (and more).




Mollusks are invertebrates and most of them are in the Class Gastropoda which means stomach foot in Latin. They have a soft body are often found with a shell although they can also have an internal shell or no shell. Related to segmented worms and pogonophora, there are seven Classes of mollusks including Aplacophora, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Monoplacophora, Polyplacophora, and Scaphopoda. Animals qualifying as species of concern include: black abalone, green abalone, pink abalone, and pinto abalone. The white abalone is currently classified as endangered. The abalone has been overfished, numbers decreased, genetic diversity has been lost, it has been subjected to disease, poachers and changes in the food chain resulting in an increase in predation.


Marine Plants


Most marine plants include types of seagrass, types of mangroves and types of algae. Mangroves and seagrasses are flowering plants and use pollen to reproduce. They are often found close to the coast. Algae can be anything from tiny phytoplankton to huge seaweeds. So far, Johnson’s seagrass is listed as threatened although many other plants should be on the list. Plants are mostly lost when humans change the habitat, natural events change the environment or oxygen is used up by organisms thriving in nutrient enriched areas (caused by humans).


Sea Turtles


Sea turtles are another animal threatened by extinction in the oceans. With aerodynamic bodies, oversized flippers and the ability to breathe air, these unique animals live in tropical or subtropical oceans all over the planet. The United States is visited by 6 of the 7 types of sea turtles including the green, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and the olive ridley. Sea turtles rely on undisturbed beaches to lay eggs and can travel huge distances to feed or nest.


The green turtle is endangered or threatened, the hawksbill turtle is endangered, Kemp's ridley turtle is endangered, the leatherback turtle is endangered, the loggerhead turtle is threatened, and the olive ridley turtle is endangered or threatened. The NOAA fisheries are primarily in charge of the conservation and restoration of these species although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shares jurisdiction.




The major reasons why sea turtles are declining in numbers include development or destruction of nesting and foraging places, accidental tangling in nets or lines, tangling in marine garbage and being hit by boats or motor craft. Regulations on gillnets, longlines, pound nets and trawls have been established by the NOAA fisheries and certain areas crucial for sea turtles have been roped off at important times. It is also important to handle sea turtles in a certain way and there are now regulations for this as well. Comprehensive strategies, research and management efforts are in the process of being developed so that the sea turtle can recover. In addition to nation-wide programs, the NOAA also has national and international programs.


Marine and anadromous fish


Marine and anadromous (born in fresh water first) fish are also under protection by the NOAA. Anadromous fish start out in freshwater, go to salt water and then return to freshwater. Marine fish spend their entire lives in salt water. Most fish listed under the Endangered Species Act are Pacific salmonids and have been listed as Evolutionary Significant Units. Other types of fish listed are Atlantic salmon, shortnose sturgeon, smalltooth sawfish and the Gulf sturgeon.