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.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

The Endangered Species Act







The Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 was established in the U.S. to protect species facing possible extinction, but it only covers native species and the extent to which they are protected is extremely limited. In 1969, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense passed the Endangered Species Conservation Act to prevent a mass extinction event in certain species. The use of endangered species by humans for food, fur, and other commercial uses was outlawed by this act and by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. In 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora was implemented to cut back on the trade of plants and animals in trouble. The 1973 Endangered Species Act is one of the most significant environmental laws in America and defines endangered or threatened species, puts plants and invertebrates under protection, requires federal agencies to start programs to conserve important habitats, creates a wide umbrella of laws against hunting for endangered species, and matches contributions from individual states towards the project. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are responsible for the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act.






Scientific Research






Scientists and the general population are also worried that if the destruction of biodiversity continues at the current rate, a mass extinction event will eventually take place. Many species go extinct before there is time to save them. Without protection, resources like global fisheries and future medicines may be lost forever unless adequate policy, scientific research, and individual actions can prevent further loss.

ENDANGERED SHELLFISH

Not enough data

Smaller corals, invertebrates, and fish are crucial components to the ecosystem. There are about 11,000 species less than 1-2 mm and about 15% of those have highly specific niches. Data on populations of small invertebrates and marine fish is difficult to collect. There is data for larger species that indicates huge losses of parrotfish, humphead wrasse, and grouper. Spiny lobsters are now very hard to find in any coral reef and the coconut crab is now only located in protected areas and tiny islands. Genetic diversity, habitat diversity, and species diversity must work together for the global ecosystem to function.

Definitions


The definition of a threatened species is one that may become extinct if measures aren't taken to protect it. An endangered species is one that has a very small population and at greater risk of becoming extinct. Many species that become extinct never make it to the endangered species list.

THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES - CAUSE OF DESTRUCTION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA (TIOMAN AREA)

Until recently, humankind seemed to view the ocean as a source of infinite resources. Its vast size and depth and unexplored frontiers made the ocean appear invulnerable to overexploitation. The truth is that the populations of many species are decreasing at an unsustainable rate, and the number of species listed as endangered from marine life families such as whales, dolphins, manatees and dugongs, salmon, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks to name a few, are on the rise. Although it is difficult to perceive because marine life is not as visible as animals on land, it is equally if not more vulnerable to problems such as habitat destruction and overexploitation. Shallow water animals that breathe air, like turtles, manatees (dugongs), and whales are often hit by boats and caught in fishing gear. Species such as turtles that lay their eggs on land often lose their nurseries due to coastal development. Animals that have taken millions of years to evolve, that are invaluable to the ecosystem, have vanished from places were they once flourished.



Causes of destruction


The destruction of habitats, the spread of disease, pollution, and unsustainable fishing practices are directly related to the actions of humans and recovery from these problems is rarely straightforward. Many marine species live in small, specific habitats while others require protection across their migration routes that cover vast areas and include breeding and feeding grounds. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated in many places worldwide, which can help protect and restore threatened species, but MPAs are limited in size and therefore limited to the marine life that inhabits those areas.