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Underwater Endangered Animals

Underwater endangered animals can be found in oceans, seas and rivers around the world. Global warming, human activity and other factors are to blame for the endangerment of many of these animals. From the delicate coral polyp to the intimidating great white shark, some underwater animals are struggling to survive the dangers that face them.

Mammals
- The endangered blue whale is the largest mammal in the world.
  
  Many whale subspecies are endangered due to excessive whaling. The blue, fin, gray, humpback, Sei, right and sperm whale are all subspecies listed as endangered by the NOAA Fisheries Service as of 2011. Another mammal at threat is the porpoise, which is related to whales and dolphins. As of 2011 the vaquita is critically endangered. It can only be found in the Gulf of California and is at risk from fishing nets. The vaquita was listed as critically endangered from 1996 to 2011.
Fish
- The great white shark is one of a number of subspecies of sharks endangered.
  
  As of 2011, the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service considered 139 species of fish endangered. These include subspecies of chub, trout, salmon, madtom, pupfish, shiner, sturgeon and sucker. These types of fish are affected by a loss of habitat and over-fishing. Large species of fish, like sharks, are also endangered. In 2005, the ICUN listed slightly more than 200 subspecies of shark as threatened. Some sharks, like the great white, great hammerhead, ganges and kitefin, have been on the list since 1994. Sharks are subject to extensive over-fishing all over the world.
Reptiles
- Marine turtles spend most of their time in water. Endangered subspecies like the hawksbill, green sea, leatherback sea and loggerhead turtle are native to seas around the world. Other endangered turtles as of 2011 include the painted terrapin, bog turtle and Egyptian tortoise. Large reptiles like the Siamese crocodile are listed as endangered. The crocodile has been endangered since 1982 due to illegal hunting, habitat loss and persecution. There were believed to be as little as 250 left in the wild as of 2010.
Invertebrates
- Coral reefs are made up of invertebrate coral organisms called polyps. which are related to sea anemones and jellyfish. Some of the reefs are 50 million years old. As of 2011 the polyps were threatened by temperature change, pollution and sedimentation. In the 1980s research found that reefs in 93 of 109 countries had been damaged, and 10 percent of all reefs were considered permanently damaged. The giant freshwater crayfish is the largest freshwater invertebrate. It is native to mainland Australia and lives at the bottom of rivers, streams and lakes. It has been endangered since 1996 due to fishing and pollution.

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