{"id":50071,"date":"2025-01-09T19:08:29","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T19:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life"},"modified":"2025-01-11T23:25:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T23:25:02","slug":"nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life","title":{"rendered":"Nature journal reveals alarming extinction rates for freshwater life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mauritius. <\/strong><\/span>A recent study published in the Nature journal reveals that 24% of freshwater species face the threat of extinction due to human activities such as pollution, dam construction, water extraction, and climate change.<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite covering just 1% of the Earth’s surface, freshwater ecosystems are home to 10% of all animal species, making them vital reservoirs of biodiversity that are now in grave danger.<\/p>\n

The beauty of freshwater ecosystems\u2014rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams\u2014draws people in, serving both as a source of enjoyment and a resource for exploitation.<\/p>\n

Nearly all the prominent rivers across North America and Europe have been extensively transformed by human intervention, with massive dams built for hydroelectric energy and expansive reservoirs created.<\/p>\n

However, a recent paper in the journal Nature, nearly 25% of the 23,500 species studied are at risk of extinction, classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.<\/p>\n

For the first time, researchers have turned their attention to freshwater species, marking a shift from earlier studies that primarily examined terrestrial animals such as birds, mammals, and reptiles.<\/p>\n

Ian Harrison, co-chair of the Freshwater Conservation Committee and co-author, expressed concern over the alarming statistic that one in four species faces the risk of extinction.<\/p>\n

He highlighted that around 23% of the species studied lack sufficient data, making it difficult to assess their threat levels accurately.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s likely that a significant portion of these data-deficient species are also at risk.<\/p>\n

Given that 25% of the species we do have information on are threatened, it stands to reason that a similar proportion of the unknowns could be in danger as well.<\/p>\n

This suggests that the actual number of threatened species may be even greater than we currently understand.<\/p>\n

The authors stress the critical importance of tackling threats to mitigate the ongoing decline and loss of species.<\/p>\n

Freshwater ecosystems are especially at risk due to their closeness to human activities, contrasting sharply with the expansive oceans.<\/p>\n

The interconnected nature of these freshwater systems plays a significant role as well; for instance, pollution originating upstream can quickly travel downstream, affecting a larger area.<\/p>\n

Additionally, freshwater resources are under pressure from agricultural extraction, the need for drinking water, and the threat posed by invasive species.<\/p>\n

Pollution remains a critical concern for the 23,500 species that rely on these ecosystems, including dragonflies, fish, and crabs.<\/p>\n

Harrison acknowledges the somber nature of the findings but remains optimistic. “Well, it is very depressing, of course, but I think one can’t kind of come away from this feeling that it’s hopeless. And I don’t think it is hopeless. It’s very challenging, but it’s not hopeless,”<\/b> he said.**<\/p>\n

Climate change is also impacting freshwater ecosystems, while wildfires and deforestation have led to significant destruction in various regions, including the Amazon and Australia.<\/p>\n

The study reveals that over half of the threatened species examined are impacted by pollution, with 39% affected by dams and water extraction, 37% by changes in land use and the resulting agricultural effects, and 28% by invasive species and diseases.<\/p>\n

The Prairie Creek salmon restoration project in California’s Redwoods National Park serves as a prime example of how human efforts can transform arable land into thriving salmon habitats, showcasing our ability to combat the looming threat of extinction.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Mauritius<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mauritius. A recent study published in the Nature journal reveals that 24% of freshwater species face the threat of extinction due to human activities such as pollution, dam construction, water extraction, and climate change. Despite covering just 1% of the Earth’s surface, freshwater ecosystems are home to 10% of all animal species, making […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":50070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[1935,5439,241,3981],"class_list":["post-50071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-climate-change","tag-environmental-protection","tag-mauritius","tag-nature-reserve"],"yoast_head":"\nNature journal reveals alarming extinction rates for freshwater life - Mauritius<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A recent study published in the Nature journal reveals that 24% of freshwater species face the threat of extinction d ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nature journal reveals alarming extinction rates for freshwater life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A recent study published in the Nature journal reveals that 24% of freshwater species face the threat of extinction d ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mauritius\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-09T19:08:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-11T23:25:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/sites\/61\/2025\/01\/sm_1736439297.721559.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"538\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Nature journal reveals alarming extinction rates for freshwater life\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-09T19:08:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-11T23:25:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\"},\"wordCount\":554,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/sites\/61\/2025\/01\/sm_1736439297.721559.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Climate Change\",\"Environmental protection\",\"Mauritius\",\"Nature reserve\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/nature-journal-reveals-alarming-extinction-rates-for-freshwater-life\",\"name\":\"Nature journal reveals alarming extinction rates for freshwater life - 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