According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species – the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species – at least 37% of the world’s sharks and rays, 33% of reef corals, 26% of mammals (including marine) and 21% of reptiles are threatened with extinction. Many of these species live in oceans and marine environments, but overfishing, habitat loss and degradation, pollution, as well as climate change, have plagued many animals to the brink of extinction. These are just 11 examples of the most endangered species in the ocean that are in urgent need of protection.
1.Vaquita
2.North Atlantic Right Whale
3.Yangtze Finless Propoise
4.Hawaiian Monk Seal
5.Hawksbill Turtles and Kemp's Ridley Turtles
6.Giant Manta Ray
7.Whale Shark
8.Northern Fur Seal
9.Southern Bluefin Tuna
10.Dugong
11.Coral Reefs
