One mollusk, the hydrothermal vent monoplacophoran, has been found at only two locations along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge off the Azores. But because those places both fall within marine protected areas, the species was among more than 30 that were classified as being of “least concern.”
Researchers have found that, of the various deep-sea habitats threatened by mining, these vents nurture the highest density of life. That has made them especially controversial. Currently, the main focus for deep-sea mining lies elsewhere, with the potato-size nodules found on certain underwater plains. But those areas come with their own unique life, and in 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until its risks were understood and effective protection of the marine environment could be ensured.
The Metals Company, a front-runner in deep-sea mining exploration, did not respond to questions about the mollusks’ vulnerability.
The Trump administration has moved to push ahead with deep-sea mining in international waters without global approval. The International Seabed Authority, the body that regulates deep sea mining in waters outside of national jurisdiction, is meeting this month in Jamaica to continue what has been a highly contentious series of negotiations.
In addition to the mollusks in protected areas, Thursday’s update to the Red List included another example of conservation success. The numbat is a stripy Australian marsupial that was widespread across southern Australia until European settlers introduced cats and foxes to the continent. By the late 1970s, its numbers had shrunk to around 300 individuals, according to I.U.C.N. But intensive efforts — captive breeding, fencing to keep cats and foxes away, and the killing of foxes and feral cats — have paid off. There are now 2,000 to 3,000 numbats. The efforts need to continue, scientists have noted, but the species has moved from being classified as endangered to near threatened.
But the desert rain frog, which has gone viral on social media for its grumpy-looking face and round body, has moved from near threatened to vulnerable because of diamond mining and energy infrastructure developments in South Africa and Namibia.
