The world's animal kingdom continues to be jeopardized as more than a hundred new species make it onto the endangered list.
The western gorilla, a Chinese dolphin and even coral are all at the top of the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) priority cases, according to the organization's Red List released Wednesday.
Furthermore, one in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70 per cent of the world's assessed plants are also endangered.
"This year's IUCN Red List shows that the invaluable efforts made so far to protect species are not enough," said Julia Marton-Lef�vre, the IUCN's director general in a news release. "The rate of biodiversity loss is increasing and we need to act now to significantly reduce it and stave off this global extinction crisis. This can be done, but only with a concerted effort by all levels of society."
Conservation efforts have had some success, though, this year. Only one species, a rare parakeet, was upgraded from the Critically Endangered list to the Endangered list.
This year is the first time corals have appeared on the Red List, including 74 types of seaweed. The main threats to this type of species are the effects of climate change. Overfishing is also a reason why seaweed is on the decline. Predators are being removed from the ocean's food chain, which means there are more sea creatures that graze the algae.
Looking at the great ape, our closest relative in the animal kingdom, the Red List paints a grim picture. The western gorilla has moved from the Endangered list to the Critically Endangered list. The western lowland gorilla's population has declined by more than 60 per cent in the last 20 to 25 years.
The Ebola virus plus the commercial bushmeat trade has been detrimental to the gorilla's existence.
The Yangtze River dolphin is possibly extinct, according to the list. More surveys need to be done before it can be classified as extinct. There was a sighting in late August, 2007 that researchers are looking into.
Properly classifying the status of all species is important to the survival of humans, said Jane Smart, head of IUCN's species program.
"We need to know the precise status of species in order to take the appropriate action," she said in a news release. "The IUCN Red List does this by measuring the overall status of biodiversity, the rate at which it is being lost and the causes of decline."
She said every species, including humans, are inextricably linked.
"As the world begins to respond to the current crisis of biodiversity loss, the information from the IUCN Red List is needed to design and implement effective conservation strategies -- for the benefit of people and nature," she said.
