The southern resident population of killer whales is one of eight species targeted for a new federal conservation push. Photo via NOAA.
‘People can help turn around the slide to extinction’
Staff Report
FRISCO — From rare white abalones along the California coast to playful monk seals in Hawaii, federal marine biologists want to make an all-out push to try and protect some of the oceans most endangered species.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its Species in the Spotlight push last week, naming eight ocean species as worthy of a special effort:
- Atlantic Salmon Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (DPS)
- Central California Coast Coho Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU)
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (DPS)
- Hawaiian Monk Seal
- Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
- Sacramento River Winter-run Chinook (ESU)
- Southern Resident Killer Whale (DPS)
- White Abalone
All the species are on the endangered species list and the agency said it’s rededicating itself to ensuring that none of them go extinct.
Less than 1 percent of the species protected under the ESA have gone extinct. And while only a small percentage of species listed since 1973 have been recovered, NOAA said it’s likely that hundreds would have gone extinct without that protection.
According the the agency, the new initiative will include targeted efforts to stabilize populations and work toward recovery.
“Many of these species, we don’t know a lot about them, so the challenge is to identify the research gaps and gather that information, to figure out what it is that caused the species to be added to the list in the first place … and remove the threats,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administator.
“And really what we want people to do is to know that species listed under the Endangered Species Act live in the world that they’re a part of,” Sobeck said. “There are species on this list from every almost every part of the country and we are hoping that people will learn to understand and value these creatures, and learn that they can contribute to reducing the threats and turn around the slide to extinction,” Sobeck said.
