About this episode

Rachel Feltman discusses changes to the Endangered Species Act with marine biologist Lynne Barre, focusing on its impact on wildlife and habitat preservation.

In July the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced changes to how key parts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will be implemented, including a new definition of what it means to “harm” an endangered species. To discuss the history of the ESA, the impact its made on at-risk wildlife and the importance of habitat preservation, Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman talks to marine biologist Lynne Barre, who recently left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after a 25-year career at the agency. They talk about the gray whale comeback that the ESA helped bring about, the earlier Supreme Court dissent that the current administration is using to define “harm” and the government workforce problem that could put animals at risk. Recommended Reading: Protecting Plants and Animals at Risk Must Start before They Need the Endangered Species Act Can We Save Every Species from Extinction? E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda…

People in this episode

Host: Rachel Feltman

Guest: Lynne Barre

Topics covered

• Endangered Species Act
• wildlife preservation
• marine biology
• government policy
• habitat conservation

Keywords

• Endangered Species Act
• wildlife
• habitat preservation
• marine biology
• government policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Scientific American

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