Backbone of Biodiversity at Risk

The critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is one of hundreds of marine species that can be found cruising the waters of Papahānaumokuākea, a chain of islands northwest of the main Hawaiian archipelago. Despite living in protected habitat, Hawaiian monk seals frequently become entangled in fishermen's nets, threatening their survival. It's estimated that only around 1,200 individuals survive today. Watch a recorded webcast about the latest efforts in Greece to study and save the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's largest animals, but scientists estimate that fewer than 450 remain. In the past, they were hunted for their oil and baleen; now they get tangled up in fishing lines, which weaken and eventually kill them. Meet a right whale named Phoenix, and learn more about their biology and why so few remain.

American crocodiles are most commonly found in mangrove-lined estuaries, seagrass beds, and saltwater lagoons between the southern coast of the United States and the northern coasts of South America and Mexico. They are considered "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List, having undergone a population decline of 30% over the last three generations because of hunting for their hides and habitat loss. However, when their habitat is protected, their populations can recover, as has occurred in Florida.

Great White Sharks are marvels of evolution, with highly-evolved senses keeping them among the ocean’s top predators. However, they are threatened with extinction and listed on the IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable." Their biggest (and, perhaps, only) threat is people. Great whites are often portrayed as terrifying man-killers, which makes them a target for sport fishing and trophy hunters, who don't understand that humans do far more damage to sharks than sharks do to humans. They also can be killed by protective beach meshing, and are losing inshore habitats used as nursing grounds to encroaching development.

A scalloped hammerhead shark at Isla del Coco, Costa Rica.

A Galapagos sea lion rests on a beach in Ecuador.

A diet of algae and seagrasses gives this turtle greenish colored fat—and its name.

This X-ray shows the mouth on the underside of a white-rimmed stingray, Himantura signifer.

A Turtle Excluder Device (TED) enables a loggerhead turtle to escape from a net.