Top 12 Recently Extinct Ocean Creatures

There are millions of species in the ocean, yet humans, global warming, and destruction of habitats have exponentially killed many ocean creatures. So, in this article we are going to have a look at 12 ocean animals that have become extinct in the recent times, their peculiarities, and the causes of their extinction.

1. Hydrodamalis gigas, Steller Sea Cow

Year of Extinction 1768

Cause: Overhunting

The Steller sea cow was a huge slow moving relative of the dugong and manatee. It was discovered in 1741 close to the Commander Islands and driven to extinction in less than 30 years of being discovered since its valuable meat and blubber made it a target of hunters.

2. Neomonachus tropicalis (Caribbean Monk Seal)

Year of Extinction: 2008( officially declared)

Cause: Over hunting and loss of habitat

The Caribbean monk seal once thrived in the Caribbean Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico but they were hunted due to their fur and their oil. It was last seen in 1952, and declared extinct in 2008 after thorough researches were conducted with no survivors detected.

3. Psephurus gladius Chinese Paddlefish

Extinction duration: 1970s

Cause: Excessive hunting and persecution

At one time this sea lion was caught along the Japanese and Korean coasts, and was needed because of its skin, its oil, and its organs. Its final records show the capturing of the last known people in the 1950s and since then, no records show of its sighting after the l970s.

4. Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus)

The extinction time is 1970s.

Cause: Over hunting and persecution

Formerly widespread on the coasts of Japan and Korea, this sea lion was being hunted as a source of valuable skin, oil and organs. The recent sightings were reported in 1970s and the last people captured were in the 1950s.

5. Atlantic Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

Year of Extinction: 18 th century

Cause: Whaling

The Atlantic gray whale used to wander along the coasts of Europe and North America unlike its relatives in the Pacific. The population was wiped out by overhunting by early whalers by 1700s.

6. New Zealand Grayling (Prototroctes oxyrhynchus)

Year of extinction: 1930s

Cause: invasion of habitats and invasive species

This was an indigenous fresh water fish native to New Zealand. It became extinct and the latest sighting has been reported in the 1920s due to deforestation and trout introduction.

7. Blackfin Cisco (Coregonus nigripinnis)

Extinction in the 1960s

Cause: invasive species and overfishing

The blackfin cisco was an especially deep-water fish native to the Great Lakes that had been strongly affected by commercial fisheries and had to struggle against invasive species such as the alewife.

8. Galápagos Damsel Fish (Azurina eupalama)

Period of Extinction: 1980s

Cause: El Ni o events

This tiny colorful fish was a native of Galapagos Islands. The increasing ocean temperature in 1982-83 El Nino affected the food of this species consequently its extinction.

9. Smooth Handfish (Sympterichthys unipennis)

Year of extinction: 2020 ( first extinction in the modern era of a marine fish)

Cause: Destruction of habitat and bottom trawling

This weird looking fish was an Australian native and walked on its fins. Its seabed habitat had been destroyed by intensive trawling, and none has been sighted since the early 2000s.

10. Lost Shark (Carcharhinus obsoletus)

Extinction Year: 2019 (announced) Cause: Over fishing and loss of habitat The reason why this rare shark was last recorded in the early 1930s in the South China Sea is because it was formally declared extinct in 2019 after almost a half-century of no reports of the unfortunate fish. It was killed by the intensive fishing and annihilation of coral reefs ecosystems.

11. Tecopa Pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae)

Stamper Year: 1981

Cause: Destruction of the habitat

This was a small fish which inhabited the hot springs of Mojave Desert in California. Extinctions were caused by the diversion of water that was being used by man drying up its habitat.

12. Eelgrass Limpet (Lottia alveus)

Extinction Year: 1929

Cause: Habitat loss.

This tiny sea slug went extinct when a disease killed the only place it lived–North Atlantic eelgrass beds–in the 1930s. A real marine extinction, causated by ecosystem collapse.

How come these creatures of the ocean became extinct? What Caused It/What Caused its Occurrence

Death of sea living creatures is a deplorable result of the activities of man and the ecological shifts taking place. Although there may be placement differences found in each species, a number of prevalent issues have led to their extinction. Learning the causes can aid in stopping extinctions in the future.

1. Overhunting and Overfishing

Some of the marine animals like Steller sea cow and the Caribbean monk seal were also hunted to extinction because they were being used as meat, blubber, or fur. Commercial fishing was also involved in extinction of species such as the blackfin cisco that was fished on large numbers without any sustainable control.

2. Habitat Destruction

Important marine habitats like coastal development, pollution and the building of dams have been destroyed. The Chinese paddlefish became extinct due to dams that obstructed its spawning paths and the Tecopa pupfish when the hot springs on its home hot spring were drained into human usage.

3. Rising Sea Levels and Climate change

The world has been facing global warming which has caused an increase in the ocean temperatures and the rise of sea level destroying certain species in the process. The Bramble Cay melomys was the first mammal to be recorded extinct owing to climate change as the habitat where the mammal survived was flooded in the island. The sea life environment is also endangered by coral bleaching and altered currents.

4. Invasive Species

Some species have been driven to extinction due to introduction of the predators and competitors who are not native. The rare Guam flying fox died off as a result of the invading brown tree snake and the New Zealand grayling fared poorly against imported trout.

5. Ocean acidification and Pollution

There is chemical deposition, plastic, and oil spill contaminating the marine animals. To add to these, ocean acidification (which comes about as a result of excess CO 2 ) impairs shellfish and coral reefs, thus upsetting entire food chains.

6. El Nino and Natural calamities

Other species such as the Galapagos damsel fish got eliminated due to extreme weather. It was the 1982-83 El Niino that led to rapid increase in water temperatures which killed their food sources.

What Can We Do To Stop Future Extinctions?

• Have more rigid controls on fishing to stop overharvesting.
• Conserve within marine reserves and with marine conservation laws.
• Fight climatic changes by cutting carbon emissions.
• Eradicate invasive species to save wild species.
• Less pollution; avoid plastic and control industrial waste.

These problems can be solved by preventing the deterioration of endangered marine species and biodiversity in oceans by future generations.

Conclusion

The demise of these oceanic beings illustrates the deplorable way the human beings have killed marine animals. It is also important to conduct conservation works to stop further losses. Habitat protection, control of fishing and climate change can contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in the ocean to descendants.