WHAT IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Definition
According to the United States Endangered Species Act
of 1973, an endangered species is any species,
subspecies, or distinct population segments (excluding
insects) at risk of extinction either across the globe or in a
specific location.
Some factors leading to endangerment include:
Destruction or disruption of a species habitat
Excessive killing/hunting of a species
Disease
Photo: Laura Francis, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Extinction Vortex
Some animals are naturally more rare if they
reproduce at a low rate, if they grow very large and if
they have a short life span. These factors combined
with changes in the environment that the species
cannot adapt to, can lead to the extinction of a
species. In any given population, only a portion of
individuals reproduce, they are called the effective
population. As the population size of a species
decreases, so does the effective population which
leads to low genetic diversity. Low genetic diversity
reduces the adaptive capacity of animals to deal with
environmental change. Ultimately, these factors
combine to reduce population size to zero if there are
no conservation efforts to remove problems like over
hunting or habitat destruction.

Endangered Humpback Whales

Although more abundant worldwide, humpback whale populations in
the Marianas are at risk of extinction. These whales require two main
types of habitat and they use each for different things. Humpback
whales require cool, nutrient rich arctic environments in order to feed.
They also prefer warm, coastal waters to breed and give birth. Large
creatures generally breed and create offspring at lower rates, and
humpback whales are no exception with a birth rate of about 1 calf
per two or three years. Since the population size of humpback whales
is small, they are inside of the extinction vortex, making them more
and more vulnerable to extinction as time passes. Adult humpbacks
are so large that they experience little predation, but killer whales and
sharks will attack young calves and their mothers. Survival of young
whales is important for the population to grow. Humpback whales
face other threats such as illegal hunting by humans, and changes to Photo: Josh Pederson, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
the Arctic which may limit their food source.
References: www.uvm.edu, www.marianatrench.com, Ruzicka et al. 2013, Robin et al. 2003