Enhancing Awareness

For years, people around the world have believed that marine species are immune to threats of extinction. They believe that you can never fish all the fish out of the sea.

We had two goals. First was to show that marine species are threatened by many of the same threats as terrestrial species such as human impact, habitat degradation and destruction, boundaries and shrinking territories. Second was to show that there are many species already at risk for extinction.

The Perry Institute for Marine Science worked with the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) authors the Red List (www.redlist.org), to establish the first-ever division for Threatened Marine Species.

Several work groups have already been established to examine fish and shark species and several, including the Nassau Grouper and Humphead Wrasse, are on the endangered species list. Acropora palmata (Elkhorn coral) and Acropora cervi-cornis (Staghorn coral) are being considered and soon other marine invertebrates will be added to the list.

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