Email Print Share

News From the Field

Fossils help identify marine life at high risk of extinction today


April 30, 2015

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

A study of marine animals that went extinct over the past 23 million years found commonalities that can tell biologists which taxa and ecosystems are most at risk of extinction today. When overlaid with human impacts of overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction and ocean acidification, these risk maps may help pinpoint hotspots of future extinction. The study, led by Seth Finnegan of the University of California, Berkeley, found that mammals are 10 times more vulnerable to extinction.Full Story

Source
University of California, Berkeley

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov