News from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC)

Header photo: Balsas river Cichlid (Amphilophus istlanus) 
Credits: 

More than 12 IUCN SSC Specialist Groups participated at the UN Convention on Migratory Species COP 15 in Campo Grande, Brazil. All 36 listing proposals presented by the Parties were adopted by COP 15. The IUCN SSC is committed to supporting Parties and the CMS with the best available knowledge, data and tools to ensure that commitments translate into effective results for migratory species.

_{Photo: IUCN delegation at CMS COP 15, by Qiunli Liu}

The Emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal are now both Endangered, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. The emperor penguin assessment was produced through the work of the IUCN SSC Penguin Specialist Group, in coordination with BirdLife International, and the seal assessments were produced by the IUCN SSC Pinniped Specialist Group. The new assessments will be published on the emperor penguin and seals’ species profiles as part of a broader Red List update later this year.

_{Photo: Emperor penguins, by Philip Tratan}

The IUCN SSC partnered with Indianapolis Zoo to launch the Uproar Conservation Challenge. This initiative, led by the Indianapolis Zoo, in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Global Center for Species Survival, and SSC Specialist Groups identified 64 at-risk animals, plants and fungi to receive conservation funding support. The Bolivian ornate tiger beetle became the winner of this challenge.

The updated European Red List of Freshwater Fishes reveals little evidence of species recovery and calls for urgent action to protect Europe’s aquatic biodiversity. Led by Matthew Ford, member of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, and produced through the collaboration of over 135 experts from more than 30 countries, this report identifies karst systems as the most imperilled habitat, with over 90% of resident fish species threatened.

_{Photo: Metalimnion}