Photo Credit: Mike Turso

Fifty years ago, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law as a framework to prevent the loss and harm of endangered and threatened species. The law currently protects 1,662 U.S. species and 638 foreign species, including fish, plants, and other forms of wildlife. Since its signing on December 28th, 1973, the ESA has been credited with saving 99% of the species it protects and is largely considered one of the most effective wildlife conservation laws.

In honor of the ESA’s 50th anniversary, this week MRRI will be sharing some examples of threatened or endangered species that we have the opportunity to work alongside!

Our first species of the week is the Least Tern, a charismatic beach-nesting bird found throughout the East Coast of the United States. The “interior” Least Tern has been protected as endangered since 1985 when its population dropped below 2,000 birds. Their endangerment is primarily due to habitat loss as a result of changed river systems.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the species was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2021 after the population increased to about 18,000. In the Meadowlands, you can find these birds in the summer at DeKorte Park feeding their recently born young. One of MRRI’s conservation efforts in 2024 is to create sandy habitat for Least Terns to use for nesting.