Missing and presumed lost: Extinction in the ocean and its inference

Abstract

The number of modern extinctions in the ocean is unknown. The actual demise of the last individual of a species is essentially unobservable, so extinction can only be inferred. Statistical methods are described for inferring extinction from sighting records, speciesarea considerations, and taxonomic samples collected at two different times. The methods are illustrated using a variety of real datasets, including a sighting record of the Caribbean monk seal and results from three surveys of benthic invertebrates. © 2011 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.