Life has colonized diverse habitats through evolved survival strategies, but the IUCN's 2026 red list of endangered species indicates that many are now at risk from human activities. Deep‑sea hydrothermal vent environments, where water temperatures exceed 450 °C, host numerous mollusk species adapted to extreme conditions; two‑thirds of the deep‑sea vent mollusks are threatened with extinction due to deep‑sea mining. The desert rain frog, which survives with minimal water by burrowing in sand and emerging at night, is classified as vulnerable because of diamond mining, energy infrastructure expansion, and increased demand from the pet trade. Conservation actions have helped the numbat, a marsupial that feeds on termites, rebound from about 300 individuals in the late 1970s to between 2,000 and 3,000 today, moving its status from endangered to near threatened. Management efforts such as predator baiting, fencing, captive breeding, and translocations have established additional self‑sustaining populations. Experts noted that ongoing conservation is needed. However, the species occupies less than 0.04 % of its historic range, and ongoing conservation efforts are required. The IUCN also reported that emperor penguins are now considered in danger of extinction because of chick mortality linked to diminishing sea ice. More than 40 Australian mammal species have been declared extinct, largely due to predation by feral cats and foxes. The IUCN red list contains 175,909 species, of which 49,505 are threatened. The organization voted for a moratorium on deep‑sea mining in 2021, and marine protected areas currently safeguard some vent species, including the critically endangered snail Lirapex felix in the Indian Ocean.