WildEarth Guardians

Monday, December 15, 2014
Rare Marine Species Move Closer to Protections Under the Endangered Species Act

Six Critically Imperiled Species Proposed for Legal Safeguards
Contact: Taylor Jones (720) 443-2615

Washington, DC— The National Marine Fisheries Service (Service) today proposed to list the dusky sea snake, Banggai cardinalfish, Harrisson’s dogfish, and three coral species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in response to a petition by WildEarth Guardians. The six imperiled marine species are now one step closer to strong legal protections from myriad threats.

“It’s high time these incredible creatures receive the best available protections from extinction,” said Taylor Jones, endangered species advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Ocean species are struggling, and have been neglected by our nation’s most powerful environmental law for too long.”

WildEarth Guardians submitted a petition to 81 marine species and subpopulations under the ESA in July of 2013 due to the significant threats to our oceans. An estimated 50-80 percent of all life on earth is found in the oceans. More than half of marine species may be at risk of extinction by 2100 without significant conservation efforts. Despite this grave situation, the U.S. largely fails to protect marine species under the ESA. Of the 2,198 species protected under the Act, only 125 (~5 percent) are marine species.

Recognizing the decline of ocean health, on July 22, 2010 President Obama issued an Executive Order requiring agencies, including the National Marine Fisheries Service, to “protect, maintain, and restore the health and biological diversity of ocean... ecosystems,” and to “use the best available science and knowledge to inform decisions affecting the ocean.” Guardians’ multi-species marine petition seeks to compel the Service to live up to this mandate.

“The dire status of these six imperiled species reflects the larger reality that our oceans are under extreme and increasing threats from unchecked fishing, capture of animals for the pet trade, pollution and ocean acidification,” said Jones. “It is time we reverse this trend toward extinction and protect our marine ecosystems and the species that call the oceans home.”

Protection under the ESA is an effective safety net for imperiled species: more than 99 percent of plants and animals protected by the law exist today. The law is especially important as a defense against the current extinction crisis; species are disappearing at a rate much higher than the natural rate of extinction due to human activities. Scientists estimate that 227 species would have gone extinct if not for ESA protections. Listing species with global distribution can both protect the species domestically, and help focus U.S. resources toward enforcement of international regulation and recovery of the species. 

Findings on an additional 20 imperiled marine species included in the multi-species petition are currently five months overdue.

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Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni). These fish are found only in the Banggai Archipelago in eastern Indonesia. Cardinalfish inhabit shallow sheltered bays and harbors, mainly on reef flats with sandy bottoms and sea grass beds. Banggai cardinalfish are threatened by capture for use in the aquarium trade, loss and degradation of coral reef habitat, and climate change. An estimated one million Banggai cardinalfish are captured each year for the ornamental reef fish trade, but only one out of every four or five reaches a buyer due to high mortality. The National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to list the species as “threatened.”

Dusky sea snake (Aipysurus fuscus).  The dusky sea snake lives in coral reefs off the coast of western Australia, within an area that is likely fewer than 500 square kilometers. The species is threatened by potential loss of coral reef habitat and hybridization with the olive sea snake. The National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to list the species as “endangered.”

Harrisson’s dogfish (Centrophorus harrissoni). The Harrisson’s dogfish is a shark found off the coast of eastern Australia. They are threatened by historic overutilization and are vulnerable to extinction because they are long-lived, slow to mature, and reproduce slowly. The National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to list the species as “threatened.” The dogfish is only the second shark proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act, despite significant and increasing threats to shark species worldwide.

Three coral species (Cantharellus noumeae, Siderastrea glynni, and Tubastraea floreana). The three proposed coral species belong to the phylum Cnidaria. All are tropical, shallow water corals.  Two of the three are symbiotic with photosynthetic algae that live in their cells. All live in small colonies or as solitary individuals.

Cantharellus noumeae is found in New Caledonia and possibly New Guinea. Siderastrea glynni is found in a small area of the Pacific Ocean near the opening of the Panama Canal. Only five colonies have ever been found, and none remain in the wild. Tubastraea floreana is found in the Galapagos Islands, and only one confirmed population remains. These three species are threatened by potential habitat modification due to climate change and human activities including mining, coastal development, oil production, and pollution. The National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to list all three species as “endangered.”