1. Vaquita (Phocoena sinus): The vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the Gulf of California. It is critically endangered with a population estimated to be around 10 individuals or fewer. The main threat to the vaquita is bycatch, where it gets entangled and drowned in fishing nets set for other species.
2. Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus): The blue whale is the largest animal on earth and can reach lengths of over 100 feet. Despite its former abundance, commercial whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries brought the blue whale to the brink of extinction. While hunting is no longer allowed, ship collisions, noise pollution, and habitat degradation still pose significant threats.
3. Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea): The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle and is known for its leathery, shell-less carapace. It is classified as vulnerable due to various factors, including poaching of its eggs, bycatch in fishing gear, and habitat loss from coastal development and pollution.
4. Manta Ray (Manta birostris): Manta rays are large, graceful rays found in warm temperate and tropical oceans. They are vulnerable due to overfishing for their meat, gill plates, and liver oil. Manta rays are often caught as bycatch in fishing operations targeting other species.
5. Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish, meaning it migrates between freshwater rivers and the ocean. It is listed as endangered in some regions due to habitat degradation, overfishing, pollution, and the spread of invasive species.
6. Coral Reefs: While not a single species, coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that provide habitat for a multitude of marine life. Coral bleaching, caused by elevated sea temperatures due to climate change, has led to the degradation and loss of coral reefs, adversely affecting the survival of countless marine organisms.
7. Southern Resident Killer Whale (Orcinus orca): The Southern Resident killer whale population, found in the Pacific Northwest, is critically endangered. The main threats they face include lack of prey (chinook salmon), contamination of their habitat from pollutants, acoustic disturbance from vessel traffic, and vessel collisions.
It's important to note that the conservation status of marine animals can change over time, so some of the species mentioned above may have different conservation statuses based on the most recent assessments.