In 2015, scientists at Scripps Oceanography stunned the oceanography community by announcing a new species of sea dragon, colloquially known as the ruby sea dragon. It had washed up on a beach. Although they searched, they never found another, alive or dead.
Then, in 2016, they spotted a live ruby sea dragon in the wild for the first time. Now, the team has released that rare footage, which reveals something peculiar: the ruby sea dragon is missing those iconic leafy appendages found on the only other two species of sea dragon known to exist.
Then, in 2016, they spotted a live ruby sea dragon in the wild for the first time. Now, the team has released that rare footage, which reveals something peculiar: the ruby sea dragon is missing those iconic leafy appendages found on the only other two species of sea dragon known to exist.
The ruby sea dragon is so rare it is being put on the seriously endangered list.
According to the UN Environment Program, the Earth is in the midst of a mass extinction of life. Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours. This is nearly 1,000 times the “natural” or “background” rate and, say many biologists, is greater than anything the world has experienced since the vanishing of the dinosaurs nearly 65m years ago. What are we doing about it?? Nothing. No one will notice when the ruby sea dragon disappears and so very few will care. But extinctions gradually climb up the food chain until the species we rely upon for food will disappear. And guess who is at the top of the food chain?
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