The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which tracks the status of the world’s plants and animals, warns that species adapted to extreme environments, like the desert rain frog, are increasingly coming under pressure as nature loss accelerates across the planet.
And there is also increased concern about a tiny snail found only around superheated springs on the ocean floor. It has now been listed as Critically Endangered.
Conservationists say this and other extraordinary deep-sea snails, limpets, mussels and clams could be threatened by plans to mine valuable minerals from the deep seabed.
Although large-scale mining has yet to begin, companies and governments are awaiting international rules that could pave the way for extraction.
Governments and mining companies are increasingly interested in mining the deep ocean for minerals needed for green technologies such as batteries.
Supporters say deep-sea mining could be less environmentally damaging than mining on land, but many scientists warn it could harm fragile and poorly understood marine ecosystems, and are calling for a pause until more research is carried out.
The warning signs are not confined to animals.
Among them is Wilmott’s whitebeam, a rare tree found only in the Avon Gorge near Bristol that is now reduced to fewer than 50 individuals in the wild.
Emily Beech of the plant conservation charity, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, said it is being lost because of railway works and an unknown disease.
“I think most people will not know about the real UK treasures that are hiding in plain sight,” she said.
