Oregon State University study finds more than 3,500 animal species threatened by climate change

Think Out Loud

The International Union for Conservation of Nature keeps what it calls a Red List of species that are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss or exploitation such as overfishing. But a new study led by researchers at Oregon State University suggests another reason some wildlife might be at risk: climate change.

The scientists analyzed nearly 71,000 wild animal species – from corals to reptiles, insects to mammals – assessed by the IUCN Red List and categorized them according to climate-related threats they face such as drought or temperature extremes. The researchers found that more than 3,500 animal species are threatened by climate change - especially invertebrates like spiders, corals and jellyfish. The study also warns that mass mortality events linked to climate change, such as the marine heat wave in the Pacific Ocean that killed off 4 million common murres a decade ago, will “greatly accelerate” with rising global temperatures.

Joining us to discuss the study’s findings is co-author Jillian Gregg, a senior instructor at OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the founder and CEO of Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates.