At least fifteen marine and coastal animal species have become extinct
since the end of the Pleistocene. Analyses of the number of marine bi
ogeographical provinces occupied by these species show that contrary t
o the prevailing view that extinction is usually associated with a sma
ll range, at least five species (33%) bad large ranges encompassing pa
rts of tuo or more provinces. At least eight species occurred in areas
that served as geographical refuges for taxa during the Pliocene and
early Pleistocene. These refuges, in which primary planktonic producti
vity is generally very high, include the northwestern Atlantic and Nor
th Pacific. Extinctions in the northwestern Atlantic (four species) ma
y be partly responsible for the subsequent success of human-introduced
species in subtidal and open-coast intertidal habitats. Regions of hi
gh productivity deserve priority among marine areas to be protected fr
om overexploitation and habitat destruction.