Humans are pushing the extinction of marine life to an "unprecedented" level by hunting or killing larger species, according to a new study published in the journal Science . Referred to as Wednesday 's " first extinction," species such as great white sharks, blue whales, and southern bluefin tuna, are being pushed to the brink by humans' fishing habits. Co-author Noel Heim, also at Stanford, said: “We see this over and over again. “Many large species play critical roles in ecosystems and so their extinctions could lead to ecological cascades that would influence the structure and function of future ecosystems beyond the simple fact of losing those species," warns Guardian Prof. Noel Heim .
Humans are pushing the extinction of marine life to an "unprecedented" level by hunting or killing larger species, according to a new study published in the journal Science . Referred to as Wednesday 's " first extinction," species such as great white sharks, blue whales, and southern bluefin tuna, are being pushed to the brink by humans' fishing habits. “Many large species play critical roles in ecosystems and so their extinctions could lead to ecological cascades that would influence the structure and function of future ecosystems beyond the simple fact of losing those species," warns Guardian Prof. Noel Heim .