Every update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is a snapshot of our planet’s health — where conservation is working, where it isn’t yet and where action can’t wait. The newest update delivers both good news and hard truth: green sea turtles have improved globally after decades of protection, while multiple Arctic seal species have moved closer to extinction risk as sea ice vanishes.

Conservation works: The green sea turtle rebound

The IUCN reports that the global green sea turtle population has rebounded enough to improve its Red List status. This is an achievement built on long-term safeguards like beach protection, nest monitoring, bycatch reduction and coordinated rehabilitation. It’s a reminder that when science, policy and communities pull in the same direction, wildlife can recover.

At Georgia Aquarium, we see this story up close. Our teams care for cold-stunned sea turtles, often juveniles swept into sudden cold snaps, providing the heat, space and expert veterinary support animals need to regain strength and return to the ocean. Over the past five years, we’ve taken in over 40 cold-stunned sea turtles, each one a step toward protecting a species still at risk in U.S. waters.

Green sea turtles benefit from a broad network of facilities that provide recovery and release. Loggerheads, however, remain endangered and—due to their size and specialized care needs—are supported by far fewer centers nationwide. That gap is exactly where Georgia Aquarium leans in. We’re increasing investment, we’d expanded space, and we have dedicated capacity to receive, rehabilitate, and return loggerhead turtles to the wild. Our goal is simple: accelerate recovery so that loggerheads can move off the endangered list.

Recovery takes decades and continued vigilance. Even as green turtles improve globally, local populations can face boat strikes, entanglement, habitat loss and climate-driven cold-stunning. Your support keeps the arc of recovery bending in the right direction.

A cautionary tale: Arctic seals on thinner ice

The same Red List update highlights a different trajectory in the far North. Three Arctic seal species shifted to higher risk categories due to shrinking sea ice, critical habitat for breeding, resting and feeding. Specifically, hooded seals are now Endangered, while bearded and harp seals are listed as Near Threatened, underscoring the speed at which climate change is reshaping Arctic ecosystems.

Georgia Aquarium is investing in Arctic research for precisely this reason. It’s not just sea ice we need to worry about—warmer Arctic waters can fuel harmful algal blooms that produce deadly toxins, adding new biological threats on top of habitat loss. Our research scientist Dr. Patrick Charapata and collaborators study how these warming conditions enable toxic blooms to creep north, introducing new risks into marine food webs relied upon by wildlife and Indigenous communities. Recent work examines toxin exposure pathways in species such as walruses, helping anticipate health impacts in a rapidly changing sea.

In the Arctic, climate change isn’t abstract. It is habitat loss measured in miles of missing ice and new biological threats expanding with warmer water. Science here is an early-warning system, and action anywhere that reduces carbon emissions helps protect life everywhere.

How aquariums support wildlife rescue and research

Public aquariums are uniquely positioned to turn concern into capacity: trained teams, purpose-built facilities and partnerships that move animals and knowledge where they’re needed most. At the same time, our scientists contribute to peer-reviewed research and multi-institution collaborations through IUCN’s Species Survival Commission networks and other programs.

That mix matters. Rehabilitation returns individual animals to the wild today. Research and policy partnerships help ensure those animals still have places to live tomorrow.

How you can help right now

• Leave beaches turtle-safe. Knock down sandcastles, fill in holes and flatten ruts before you leave. These obstacles can block nesting females and trap hatchlings on their way to the ocean.
• Keep it dark near the shore. If you live or stay near a beach, turn off (or shield) outdoor lights at night. Artificial light can disorient hatchlings, who navigate by the moon’s glow over the water.
• Fish and play responsibly. Pack out fishing line, nets and plastic – entanglement is a serious risk for sea turtles and other wildlife.
• Boat with wildlife in mind. In turtle and manatee zones, follow local “turtle-friendly” guidance: idle near shorelines and inlets, keep a sharp lookout and avoid disturbing resting or surfacing animals.
• Report animals in distress. If you see a stranded, injured or entangled sea turtle, contact your local stranding network or wildlife hotline immediately.
• Support the science. Donations and memberships fuel Georgia Aquarium’s rescue work and Arctic research, including studies that guide practical protections for seals, walruses and other ice-dependent species. Donations are tax-deductible.
• Make climate-smart choices. From energy efficiency at home to supporting policies that lower emissions, everyday actions ladder up to safer seas for Arctic and temperate wildlife.

The new Red List is both a celebration and a call to action. Green sea turtles show that conservation works when we commit for the long haul. Arctic seals remind us that the work is urgent, and the window is now. At Georgia Aquarium, we’ll keep doing what we do best: pairing world-class animal care with rigorous science on our coast and in the Arctic so the next Red List snapshot shows more species on the road to recovery.

What That Means for Corals and How Georgia Aquarium Is Helping

When the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air, seawater becomes slightly more acidic. Increasing amounts of CO₂ means more acidic water. That shift matters for corals and other shell-building animals that need calcium carbonate to grow and heal. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research reported in their latest annual assessment that global ocean acidity has crossed a critical threshold for marine life—putting extra pressure on reefs that are already challenged by warmer waters, increasing exposure to disease and more intense storms.

“This matters because coral reefs are nurseries for fish, buffers for coasts, and a foundation for local economies,” said Kim Stone, director of fishes and invertebrates at Georgia Aquarium. “As acidity rises, corals spend more energy maintaining their skeletons and less on growth and reproduction. Over time, that weakens reefs and everything that depends on them, from reef fish to the people who rely on healthy oceans.”

Georgia Aquarium’s leadership response to the coral crisis

• Long-term commitment: Georgia Aquarium has been actively involved in coral restoration and conservation since 2010, recognizing coral’s crucial role in healthy marine ecosystems.
• Research and rescue that inform action: Our teams conduct coral rescue and study health and resilience in corals so partners can implement effective conservation strategies. We’ve guided and developed coral care techniques behind the scenes and supported nursery strategies on the reef. We also help care for corals confiscated from illegal trade, working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when animals need immediate critical care. Georgia Aquarium has received over 1,000 confiscated aquatic animals, more than half of them corals.
• Training more experts: We are teaching how to care for coral to expand the number of experts and partners involved in coral rescue and care worldwide. Georgia Aquarium hosts aquarists on-site for coral program training annually. It is a practical way to grow the network of people who can care for, rescue and restore threatened corals so more places have the expertise they need.
• Partnerships and field impact: Georgia Aquarium is a leading participant in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project, a multi-institution effort responding to the lethal, fast-spreading stony coral tissue loss disease in the Caribbean and Atlantic, including off Florida. This work is tracked on a dynamic dashboard following over 2,300 rescue colonies, including where the animals live, how big they are and DNA typing. We also partnered with Coral Restoration Foundation to grow coral fragments in underwater nurseries, with the goal of outplanting healthy corals back to the reef. To move nursery corals safely, Georgia Aquarium introduced the “Coral Bus”, a specialized aquarium trailer system that reduces stress and supports survival during transport.
• Inspiring care through connection: In our Tropical Diver gallery, guests see living corals up close. Turning big-picture climate science into a personal experience is one of the most powerful ways to spark action. Our aquarists also propagate corals for our live reef wall, which supports education and conservation goals inside the Aquarium.

“Coral reefs are living infrastructure for the ocean, and more acidity makes it harder for them to build and heal,” Stone shared. “We are investing in people, partnerships and science to help reefs hold on and bounce back.”

What you can do today

• Lower your carbon footprint where you can. Small choices add up. A few small actions include walking and biking instead of driving when possible, eating locally-sourced foods and reducing food waste. When swimming in the ocean, use reef-safe sunblock.
• Choose sustainable seafood using trusted guides and certifications. Georgia Aquarium’s Seafood Savvy program promotes choosing sustainable seafood from sources that minimize environmental impacts, ensure fair working conditions, and support the entire supply chain.
• Support coral programs through donations or membership.
• Learn and share. Visit Georgia Aquarium, explore our coral resources and talk about why reefs matter.

Hope looks like skilled hands, good science, and strong partnerships. From behind the scenes to reef nurseries, Georgia Aquarium and our partners are working to protect corals when it matters most.

Dr. Patrick Charapata, a research scientist at Georgia Aquarium, led a study that was just published in the journal Harmful Algae investigating the implications of harmful algal blooms in the Arctic, and what that means for the health of walrus who consume the nerve toxins while eating shellfish. This wasn’t an issue of concern decades ago, but as waters warm and harmful algae move into Arctic waters, researchers are working to uncover what this means for the health of wildlife, and also the food system that Indigenous people depend upon.

Why Ocean Warming Matters for Walruses

As Arctic waters warm, harmful algal blooms are appearing more often and in new places. Some algae—such as Alexandrium catenella—produce paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), a powerful nerve toxin. Think of the toxin’s path like a relay: tiny algae make it, clams and worms on the seafloor eat the algae and can hold onto it, and when walruses eat those invertebrates, they may take in the toxin along with their meal. Dr. Charapata spent three years building an easy-to-use way to estimate how much toxin could reach walruses during a bloom and where exposure might be higher depending on where walruses eat/forage.

How the Study Worked and What it Revealed

Using data from two confirmed Arctic bloom years (2019 and 2022), researchers modeled a typical day of feeding for a walrus. This approach produced estimates of daily toxin ingestion and mapped places and times where exposure was likely to be elevated.

Results indicate that during bloom periods, walruses are likely to ingest enough toxin to potentially affect their health. One important caveat remains: the exact dose that harms walruses has not yet been established, so these findings characterize exposure rather than a confirmed health threshold.

“These models give us our clearest picture yet of how a microscopic algae can become a potential macro-level health threat for walruses,” said Dr. Charapata. “They help us identify where risks may spike as Arctic conditions shift and where monitoring can protect both wildlife and the food-security and food-safety of people.”

For People and Communities: What Comes Next

This work reflects a One Health perspective, where animal, human, and environmental health are connected. The same modeling framework can help assess toxin risks for marine subsistence foods important to Native Alaskan communities and can support more informed decisions during future blooms.

Researchers plan to refine estimates as new toxicity data become available, especially walrus-specific thresholds, and to apply the approach to additional bloom scenarios so partners can use it for planning and early warning.