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As with every ecosystem, the balance in a marine habitat is very delicate. Pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, and unsustainable fishing practices are all factors leading to the endangerment of thousands of marine species, from small corals to the largest mammals.
Some endangered animals have received wide public support for their conservation, such as the seven species of sea turtle. Others are in populations so small and specialized, many don’t know that they even exist.
The eight marine species in this article are classified under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as being either Endangered or Critically Endangered.* The difference between Endangered and Critically Endangered is subtle, but those species that fall under the latter category face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, with less chance of recovery than those that are Endangered due to a significant difference in the number of mature individual animals that may aid in reproduction and recovery.
