Many species of reef-building corals, which are vital to the health of ocean ecosystems, face risk of extinction. (Joe Hoyt/NOAA)
On the verge of vanishment
Each year, the International Union of Conservation of Nature is finding more and more plant, animal and fungus species threatened with extinction across the globe. In other words, our planet’s biodiversity is in grave danger. What evidence do we have for this phenomenon, and what could be causing it? Plus, what are the implications of a decreasingly biodiverse world? Data analysis can start leading us toward answers to these questions.