Nearly a tenth of underwater plants and animals listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature at risk of being lost . Majority of marine species threatened have ceased to exist in east Africa and New Caledonia .
Geneva, Switzerland: The most recent Red List of Threatened Species shows that human activities are negatively impacting marine life, with nearly a tenth of underwater plants and animals listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature at risk of being lost on Friday, according to Craig Hilton-Taylor, the head of the IUCN Red List.By assessing the state of the species, we get a real sense of what is really going on around the world, which isn't good news, according to Hilton-Taylor, since the majority of marine species threatened have ceased to exist in east Africa and New Caledonia, thanks to oil and gas exploration and production in the region, and pollution from nickel mining in the Pacific.According to the IUCN, increasingly severe and frequent marine heat waves have increased mortality by inflaming disease and killing their food sources.The pillar coral, a Caribbean species that mimic upright stalactites, has slid down two categories from endangered to critically endangered.