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Hawaiian Monk Seal

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The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi)
It is estimated that monk seals have been living in the Hawaiian island chain for 14-15 million years. It is believed that they reached the Hawaiian archipelago through the Central American Seaway, which closed approximately 3 million years ago. They are considered by many to be a “living fossil” due to the primitive nature of the species. Both remaining species of monk seal are in imminent danger of going extinct. While the Hawaiian monk seal population numbers approximately 1,100 individuals, the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is fairing even more poorly, with the most recent estimate of 350-450 individuals (IUCN Red List). The Caribbean monk seal (Neomonachus tropicalis) was …show more content…

I saw a few solitary animals frequent the quiet beach near my house. The protection of the friendly looking Hawaiian monk seal has not been without controversy. As recently as December of last year, a female pup was bludgeoned to death by an unknown person on the island of Kauai (Brenton). Unfortunately, this kind of occurrence (though highly illegal) is not uncommon in the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). These attacks can very detrimental the already small MHI population of approximately 200 individuals (NOAA). Why are monk seals so reviled by a few in Hawaii? What can be done to ease the human-wildlife conflict, and better protect this critically endangered …show more content…

Due to misinformation, some believe that the monk seal’s primary diet is commercial fish, and competes with local fishers by eating its weight in fish in a single day— this is patently untrue, as no large mammal would be able to consume that much food in a single day. Some believe that the seals were brought in by the federal government and are not actually endemic to Hawaii. While it’s true that the main population of monk seals have existed in the Northwest Hawaiian islands (NWHI), there is archaeological evidence from before the 19th century that the seals coexisted with humans in the MHI (Watson et al). Since they are also a relatively rare species, their cultural prevalence has not been as strong as some species (i.e., sea turtles). The use of historical Hawaiian newspapers, as well as research into Hawaiian etymology, as well as archaeological and anthropological investigations can help add to our knowledge base (Watson et al). NOAA’s Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center, and the Marine Conservation Institute are doing much to dispel these myths by providing informational websites to the

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