Extinction
Since the V. bennettiana's discovery, Sydney Harbour has been massively altered by human activities. These activities substantially increased the siltation level in Sydney Harbour. Fine-meshed alga species are especially vulnerable to this type of disturbance because the particulate matter can often clog the blade and prevent light necessary for photosynthesis from reaching the organism.
A search by Arthur Lucas in 1916 failed to find the species. Since it had been only found in two places, V. bennettiana went extinct by then. The causes were human disturbance, habitat destruction, and pollution. Searches along the entire coastline of New South Wales failed to locate the species.
Vanvoorstia bennettiana was, until an update in 2007, the only protist anywhere on the IUCN's Redlist.
Read more about this topic: Vanvoorstia Bennettiana
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