Threatened species, but there’s still hope

New scientific evidence suggests that a growing number of creatures could disappear from the earth. One-fifth of the vertebrates and as many as a third of all sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction.

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International fisheries officials adopted new protections in the Atlantic Ocean for the oceanic whitetip, shown here, whose numbers have declined by as much as 99 percent in some areas.

Matt Fidler /

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas voted Saturday to compel countries that fishing in the Atlantic Ocean for shortfin mako sharks, like the one pictured here, to submit data on these catches by 2013 or face penalties.

Andy Murch

National that fail to submit data on their catches of shortfin mako sharks in the Atlantic Ocean by 2013 will be prohibited in the future from fishing this shark, which is second only to blue sharks in terms of the total number of migratory sharks caught there.

Masa Ushioda

Oct 26, 2010

The U.S. had pushed for catch limits on the shortfin mako, which is classified by the IUCN as globally vulnerable, at the recent ICCAT meeting in Paris, but failed to win support for the measure.

Greg Skomal / Courtesy of IUCN

Delegates to ICCAT declined to significantly curb the catch of bluefin tuna in either the western or eastern Atlantic, despite the fact that its numbers have plummeted in recent years as the demand for its meat in Japan has soared.

Keith Ellenbogen / OCEANA

The fishing commission required that countries both report on how many sea turtles they catch in the Atlantic and to use hook-removal and fishing line disentanglement gear, which could save tens of thousands of sea turtles that are accidentally caught. Scientists estimate that between 240,000 and 350,000 sea turtles are caught in longline fisheries in the Atlantic and Mediterranean each year.

Carlos Suarez / OCEANA

Oct 26, 2010

Black-footed ferrets are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List under the "critically endangered" category. The IUCN Red List has been assessing the conservation status of species for more than 40 years to promote their conservation.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

The Asian crested ibis is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List as an endangered species.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

The Kihansi spray toad is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

The humpback whale is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

The vicuna is on the IUCN Red List but is in the "least concern" category. The IUCN Red List has been assessing the conservation status of species for more than 40 years to promote their conservation.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science attach a pop-up satellite tag to a 1,000-pound, 14-foot deepwater six gill shark at Norfolk Canyon. The tag recorded data for three months before popping off and transmitting the data to VIMS researchers via satellite.

Courtesy of Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Oct 26, 2010

Graduate student CJ Sweetman, right, and professor Tracey Sutton of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science prepare to tag a spinner shark in July during the VIMS shark survey.

Courtesy of Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Oct 26, 2010

Graduate student Kristene Parsons of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science measures a sand tiger shark aboard the research vessel R/V Bay Eagle during the VIMS shark survey.

Courtesy of Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Oct 26, 2010

The Mallorcan midwife toad is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The IUCN Red List has been assessing the conservation status of species for more than 40 years to promote their conservation.

Courtesy of IUCN

Oct 26, 2010

The Przewalski's horse is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

Courtesy of IUCN

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Georgetown University students thank the families who allowed the use of cadavers for study.

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