Hawaiian monk seal  (Monachus schauinslandi)

During the 1800s, Hawaiian monk seals were persecuted for their meat, hides and oil; their habitat was also disturbed by bird guano and feather collectors (6). Despite protection, numbers of these seals continue to decline; an average decline of 3% a year occurred between 1985 and 1999 (6). A lack of food resources, especially around French Frigate Shoals has been cited as the cause of high juvenile mortality and the presence of severely emaciated individuals (7). In addition, entanglement in marine debris that accumulates in these islands from vast areas of the Pacific, as well as disturbance, further threatens this species (6). Non-human threats such as predation by sharks and the prevalence of violent ‘mobbing' behaviour of mature males, also play a part in the decline of monk seal numbers (4).

The Hawaiian monk seal has been listed on the United States Endangered Species List since 1976 and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for the management of the population (7). Major colonies are surveyed annually and beach counts help to give an indication of the state of each breeding population (7); flipper tagging has been carried out since the early 1980s (6). The Northwest Hawaiian Islands lobster fishery was closed in 2000, and this may help to increase prey availability (6). In 2000, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve was established, which should help to protect the habitat of this unique seal (7).