Endangered & Threatened Plants & Animals in the Ocean

The Fish and Wildlife Service created the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to protect plants and animals that are at risk of becoming threatened or extinct. A species may become at risk because of declining numbers or threatened habitats.

  1. Kemp's Ridley Turtle

    • Kemp's ridley sea turtle makes its home in the north Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Overfishing of juveniles and adults and the killing of nesting females have put the turtles on the endangered list.

    Basking Shark

    • The basking shark is found off the eastern and western coasts of North America, the southern coast of South America and the coastlines of China and Japan. The shark is hunted for its meat, fins and oil.

    Johnson's Seagrass

    • Johnson's seagrass is located in lagoons of southeastern Florida. It is put at risk by careless boating, in which propellers and anchoring break the root systems, as well as by increased hurricane activity.

    Coral Reefs

    • Coral reefs are coral polyps that grow in sunny, warm, shallow waters. The polyps create reefs by attaching to skeletons of dead animals. Coral reef numbers continue to decline because of toxins that are used to stun fish for capture.

    Black Abalone

    • The black abalone is a large mollusk found along coasts from the northern part of California to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. Overfishing and a disease called withering syndrome led to the abalone being added to the endangered list in 2009.