I Wonder… What do the IUCN Statuses Mean?

Published March 1, 2025

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) statuses classify the threat of extinction to animals, plants, and fungi around the world. The status of each species is assessed by a professional based on available data and set criteria based on their geographic range and population size. Statuses range from LeastConcern to Extinct and will also indicate if there was insufficient data to assign a status. 

Currently, there are over 166,000 species listed but that is just a small fraction of the estimated 2 million species living on Earth. An IUCN status helps guide conservation efforts for species, which can help the preservation of entire ecosystems.

Our green sea turtle residents, Miss Pam and Izzy, are just two examples of a species currently included on the IUCN Endangered List. While these turtles are unreleasable to the wild, WOW is passionate about the education of conservation and preservation of these species.