Hawaiian Monk Seal by Javier Suarez

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Glossary

EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone

NWHI: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

MHI: Main Hawaiian Islands

NMFS: National Marine Fisheries Service

TMMC: The Marine Mammal Center

FWS: Fish & Wildlife Service

Description and Ecology 

While most species of seals enjoy the frigid nature of colder waters, the Hawaiian Monk seal finds its peace in the tropical weathered waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as well as some of the Main Hawaiian Islands. These playful but powerful marine mammals are one of the few seal species that inhabit tropical and subtropical waters. The only other two species are the Mediterranean Monk Seal which is critically endangered, and the extinct Caribbean Monk seal. Hawaiian Monk seals can weigh as much as 375-450 pounds, and reach up to 7-7.5 feet in length with females being notably larger than males. Furthermore, they can to live up to 30 years, and mothers are also known for giving close care to their pups during their nursing period (TMMC).

Geographic and Population Changes

The Hawaiian Monk Seals’ range is almost entirely exclusive to the United States’ EEZ, and is divided into six sub populations located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands:

1. Kure Atoll
2. Midway Islands
3. Pearl and Hermes Reef
4. Lisianski Island
5. Laysan Island
6. French Frigate Shoals

More recently, a new population also began appearing and breeding on most of the Main Hawaiian Islands. The earliest sighting recorded in the MHI is from 1912 in Hilo Bay, where the individual was killed and then eaten by the local islanders. No systematic surveys had been taken to measure the population in the MHI until 2000, where areal and ground surveys counted at least 45 individuals. One year later 52 were counted, and a 2007 survey revealed a population of around 77. However, these surveys are known to be “well below total abundance” as they cannot account for all the individuals in the water (FWS).

Listing

Also referred to as: "llio hollo I ka uaua," meaning "dog that runs in rough water." This majestic species was hunted to near extinction in the latter part of the 19th century and listed as endangered on 11/23/1976 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

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Is This The End? (Main Threats)

Although the scientific community has been making great efforts to study and protect monk seals in Hawaii, the metapopulation in the NWHI has been constantly declining for the last 20 years. Luckily, because there has been an extensive amount of research done on monk seals, the main threats to this rare sub species of seals are clear and already being managed in a way or another. However, while these efforts have helped mitigate the damage, they have not completely obliterated these threats as the trends still show a clear decline in the seal sub-populations (FWS).

By far the most threatening issue is the low rate of survival of juvenile seals, due both to starvation of pups and sub-adults as well as predation by Galapagos Sharks. Other still very menacing issues are:

• Entanglement in marine debris.
• Human interaction and disturbances/exposure to disease.
• Habitat loss.

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Is there Hope? (Recovery Plan)

Indeed, there is! Although the recovery time is not predictable with the current data, the case for Hawaiian Monk seals presents the best hope for the conservation of the tropical and subtropical seal species. The main goal for the recovery plans is to aid the female juvenile population through a captive care program to “nutritionally supplement” them. This will then combat the main threat which is starvation. Other actions will include removing marine debris and protecting females from shark and male aggression. Finally, research will focus on “better understanding the factors that result in poor juvenile survival.” This will be carried out through a base 5-year plan which has a cost of $35,915,000 (FWS).

What Can You Do?

Luckily there is a plethora of tasks available for the public to help with. Volunteers are an integral part of operations of this scale, and various recognized organizations such as The Marine Mammal Center offer volunteering opportunities in a great variety of programs.

You can get started by visiting their website to find more about what they have to offer at: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/Get-Involved/volunteer/

Don’t have the time to volunteer but still want to help? You can still be of great help by donating to their cause!

Other Resources!

Want to find more about Hawaiian Monk Seals?

A full copy of their recovery plan is available at:

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/hawaiianmonkseal.pdf

Don’t feel like reading a 165-page document? Then check out this short article by the MMC:

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/pinnipeds/hawaiian-monk-seal/?referrer=https://www.google.com/?referrer=http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/pinnipeds/hawaiian-monk-seal/

Works Cited

"The Marine Mammal Center." The Marine Mammal Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

"Parturition In The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus Schauinslandi)." Marine Mammal Science6.2 (1990): 146-51. Web.