Page 205 - (DK) Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep

KEEPING TRACK

PROTECTING THE SEAS

The ocean looks so vast that it seems endless and
everlasting. In fact, many animals are fished so much that
their numbers are dropping. Garbage from land pollutes
the water, while ocean life is harmed by climate changes.
All around the world people are studying the ocean and
doing what they can to protect the animals that live
there and prevent them from being driven to extinction.

Radio tracker fixed
to turtle’s shell

TRACKING MOVEMENTS
By fitting animals with trackers that
send out detectable signals, scientists
can keep track of where they go.
This helps them protect species that
rely on certain habitats to survive.

REPLANTING REEFS
In places where reefs have been
destroyed, special frames are used to
replace them. These have been “seeded”
with fragments of coral, encouraging the
growth of new reefs as habitats for animals.

STATS AND FACTS

NUMBER OF SPECIES DESCRIBED PER YEAR
Scientists are still 136 fish 452 crustaceans 683 other
discovering new types
of marine life. There
could be as many as 379 mollusks Total 1,650
one million species
living in the ocean.
NUMBER OF FISH SPECIES
17,400 species
of marine fish

32,800 total fish species
RECORDED MARINE SPECIES
200,000

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