Nearly a quarter of all freshwater species facing extinction risk: Study

[Lauren Taylor]

NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE WORLD’S FRESHWATER SPECIES ARE AT RISK  OF EXTINCTION ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY..

RESEARCHERS REVEAL MANY ANIMALS LYING BENEATH THE SURFACE ARE CLASSIFIED AS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

THE STUDY, PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL NATURE, DIVES DEEP INTO MORE THAN 23 THOUSAND SPECIES… INCLUDING FISH, CRABS, DRAGONFLIES AND OTHER FRESHWATER CREATURES

ONE OF THE STUDY’S CO AUTHORS SAYS “Most species don’t have just one threat putting them at risk of extinction, but many threats acting together. ”

THIS IS THE FIRST GLOBAL ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON RISKS TO SPECIES IN RIVERS, LAKES, STREAMS, BOGS AND WETLANDS.

DESPITE FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS ONLY MAKING UP ONE PERCENT OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE, THEY’RE HOME TO 10 PERCENT OF ANIMALS.

ACCORDING TO THE DATA:

DECAPODS, LIKE CRABS OR SHRIMP FACE THE BIGGEST THREAT AT 30 PERCENT.

FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND AT 26 PERCENT ARE FRESHWATER FISH LIKE SALMON AND EELS..

AND 16 PERCENT OF SPECIES SIMILAR TO DRAGONFLIES ARE AT RISK

EXPERTS POINT TO POLLUTION, INVASIVE SPECIES, CLIMATE CHANGE AND DAMS AS THE BIGGEST THREATS TO FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS.

THE PAPER HIGHLIGHTS 54 PERCENT OF THE STUDIED SPECIES IS IMPACTED BY GLOBAL POLLUTION.

WHILE THE WIDESPREAD USE OF PESTICIDES IN AGRICULTURE ENDS UP IN THE WATER FURTHER HARMING VULNERABLE ANIMALS.

RESEARCHERS WARN: IF ACTION ISN’T TAKEN, THESE COMPOUNDING THREATS WILL ONLY WORSEN WITH TIME.

THE STUDY SAYS 90 DIFFERENT SPECIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN FORCED INTO EXTINCTION.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR