Hawaiian Monk Seal

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Hawaiian Monk Seal
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Monachus
Species: M. schauinslandi
Binomial name
Monachus schauinslandi
Matschie, 1905

The Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi, is an endangered earless seal that is endemic to the waters around the Hawaiian Islands[2]. Known to the native Hawaiians as ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua, or "dog that runs in rough waters," it received its scientific name Monachus schauinslandi when the first skull known to science was brought back from Laysan Island by Dr. H. Schauinsland. Its common name derives from its round head covered with short hairs, giving it the appearance of a medieval friar. The name may also reflect the fact that the Hawaiian monk seal lives a more solitary existence, in comparison with other seals that in places collect in large colonies. Hawaiian monk seals are the most primitive living members of the Family Phocidae, having separated from other true seals perhaps 15 million years ago.

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[edit] Description

Mature Hawaiian monk seals feature a gray pelage, or coat, which turns brown with weathering. Young Hawaiian monk seals are silver with creamy white stomachs, chests, and throats. Pups are black and woolly with fuzzy short hair. Newborn pups are clad in a black natal fur. A number of Hawaiian monk seals sport scars from attempted shark attacks or injuries from fishing gear. Females are often scarred by encounters with males, which can be particularly brutal during the mating season. Adult males are 300 to 400 pounds in weight and at 7 feet in length while adult females tend to be 400 to 600 pounds and at 8 feet in length. Pups average at 30 to 40 pounds at birth and at 40 inches in length. Life expectancies are from 25 to 30 years.

[edit] Endangered status

Hawaiian monk seals are among the most endangered species of all seals, although its cousin species the Mediterranean Monk Seal (M. monachus) is even rarer, and the Caribbean Monk Seal (M. tropicalis), last sighted the 1950s, was officially declared extinct in June 2008.[3] The population of Hawaiian monk seals continues to decline and, in 2008, it is estimated that only 1,200 individuals remain.[4] The Hawaiian monk seal was officially designated as an endangered species on November 23, 1976 and is now protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal to kill, capture or harass a Hawaiian monk seal.

To raise awareness for the species' plight, the Hawaiian monk seal was declared Hawaii's official State Mammal on June 11, 2008 by Lieutenant Governor James Aiona.[5]

[edit] Threats

Monk seal species have shown alarming population declines in recent years due to the rapid spread of human activity to even the most remote and isolated areas in the Hawaiian Islands. In the nineteenth century, Hawaiian Monk Seals were clubbed to death by whalers and sealers for their meat, oil and skin.[6] They were also hunted during World War II when the U.S. forces occupied Laysan Island and Midway.[6]

Death from predation by sharks, reduced pup survival as the result of human disturbances, ciguatera poisoning, high male to female ratios during the breeding season, and entanglement in fishing nets and debris all have led to the species' decline. In the northwestern Hawaiian islands, starvation is a serious problem. Lobsters, the seals' preferred food, have been overfished and competition from other apex predators such as sharks, jacks, and barracudas, leaves little left over for developing pups.

In areas where male seals outnumber females, several males may take an interest in a single female, often resulting in the death of the female. Females of any age can be fair game, including pups. This is known as "mobbing," and is considered a factor in the decline of seal populations.[7]

These threats have taken a toll on the species, as it has been nearly eradicated from part of its former range, which included the main Hawaiian Islands.[8] It is currently found on Laysan, Midway, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, French Frigate Shoals, and Lisianski.[8]

Slowly, however, the monk seals are returning to the main Hawaiian Islands. Lone seals are now commonly being sighted in surf breaks and on beaches in Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, Maui and some of the other islands. They often haul out on busy tourist beaches, where they are vulnerable to disturbance. NOAA has a network of volunteers who try and protect the seals while they bask. In 2006, twelve pups were born in the main Hawaiian Islands, thirteen in 2007, and eighteen in 2008. [9]

Considerable current research is being conducted on this species, including research conducted by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in conjunction with the Marine Mammal Center. These efforts are directed at the enhancement of population as well as health issues of this species.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lowry, L. & Aguilar, A. (2008). Monachus schauinslandi. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 28 January 2009. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR A3ce+4ce)
  2. ^ Hawaiian Monk Seal, Monachus schauinslandi
  3. ^ FOXNews.com - Feds: Caribbean Monk Seal Officially Extinct - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
  4. ^ The Captive Care and Release Research Project Seeks to Aid Recovery of the Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal
  5. ^ KHNL NBC 8 Honolulu Hawaii |Hawaiian monk seal is the new state mammal
  6. ^ a b Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 194. ISBN 0-06-055804-0. 
  7. ^ Hawaiian Monk Seals
  8. ^ a b Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 195. ISBN 0-06-055804-0. 
  9. ^ http://www.nokaoimagazine.com/article.aspx?article_name=talk_story_may_09 Talk Story, page four: "Rough Water Pups"

[edit] External links

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