The latest red list of endangered species reveals that animals from deep-sea vents to desert frogs are increasingly at risk, with human activities overwhelming their evolved survival strategies.
Key facts
- Newly endangered animals include desert frogs and snails living at extreme ocean depths.
- Two-thirds of hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep-sea vents are at risk of extinction.
- Deep-sea mining is cited as the key threat to vent-dwelling molluscs.
- Some vent species survive water temperatures reaching 450C (842F).
Life has colonised nearly every corner of the planet by evolving ingenious survival strategies, but those adaptations are increasingly being overwhelmed by destructive human activities, according to this year’s red list of endangered species reported by the Guardian.
Among the newly endangered animals are desert frogs and snails found in extreme ocean depths. Both groups are threatened by mining, the assessment found.
Many snails, limpets and clams have adapted to life at crushing depths in the oceans, living on hydrothermal vents where water temperatures can reach 450C (842F). Despite these extraordinary adaptations, an assessment for the red list found that two-thirds of the hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep-sea vents were at risk of extinction because of deep-sea mining.
The findings underline a recurring theme of the red list: that even species which have evolved to endure some of the harshest environments on Earth are vulnerable when human industry reaches their habitats.
According to the Guardian, the red list highlights how the pressure of activities such as deep-sea mining is placing species that were once beyond the reach of human disturbance at growing risk of disappearing entirely.
Why it matters
The red list is a widely used barometer of the health of the natural world, and its findings show that even the most remote and resilient life forms are not safe from human activity. As industries such as deep-sea mining expand into previously untouched environments, the risk of losing unique species rises before they are even fully understood.
Frequently asked questions
What new species have been added as endangered?
According to the Guardian, newly endangered animals include desert frogs and snails found in extreme ocean depths, both threatened by mining.
Why are deep-sea molluscs at risk?
An assessment for the red list found that two-thirds of the hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep-sea vents are at risk of extinction because of deep-sea mining.
How extreme are the conditions these species live in?
Many snails, limpets and clams have adapted to life at crushing ocean depths on hydrothermal vents, where water temperatures can reach 450C (842F).