二十年前，世界自然保护联盟把尼日尔三角洲分类为一个拥有极丰富海洋及沿海动植物多样性的地区 — — 不同树种、鱼类、鸟类和哺乳类与其他形式的生命共处一地 — — 因此将其列为极高的优先保护等级。
Twenty years ago, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classified the Niger Delta as a region of high biodiversity of marine and coastal flora and fauna – tree species, fish, birds, and mammals, among other forms of life – and therefore rated it as a very high priority for conservation.