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Quarter of Freshwater Species at Risk of Extinction, Study Warns. Nearly a quarter of species living in freshwater ecosystems like rivers and lakes are threatened with extinction, according to research published Wednesday, AP News reports. While rivers like the Amazon may seem mighty, freshwater environments are extremely fragile, said co-author Patricia Charvet, a biologist from Brazil’s Federal University of Ceará. Freshwater habitats, covering less than 1% of Earth’s surface, support 10% of its animal species, noted Catherine Sayer from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Researchers analyzed approximately 23,500 freshwater-dependent species, finding that 24% face extinction due to threats like pollution, dams, agriculture, and climate change. Most species are not endangered by a single factor but by multiple threats acting simultaneously, Sayer added. Published in Nature, the study is the first global analysis of freshwater species' extinction risks, previously overshadowed by studies of land mammals, birds, and reptiles. Ecologist Stuart Pimm highlighted how dams and modifications to rivers in North America and Europe have significantly endangered freshwater species. South America’s Amazon River faces deforestation, wildfires, and illegal gold mining, which introduce ash and mercury into waterways, Charvet warned. Rivers and wetlands concentrate surrounding pollutants, meaning disasters like oil spills or acid contamination can destroy entire species with no refuge left. The study emphasizes the urgency of protecting freshwater ecosystems to prevent irreversible loss of biodiversity.
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