Monk seals: On the edge of extinction

Seals sunning themselves on the beach

April 21, 1998
Web posted at: 11:53 p.m. EDT (0353 GMT)

HONOLULU (CNN) -- They live in an earthly paradise, swimming in the clear water off remote islands in the Hawaiian chain, tussling with friends in the surf and relaxing on the warm sand.

But their time on earth may be limited unless something can be done to stop the decline of the population of Hawaiian monk seals, the most endangered species in U.S. waters.

"The population has declined approximately 60 percent since the late 1950s," said Bud Antonelis of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

There have been three known populations of the monk seal, which is named for its reclusive nature: the Hawaiian group; a population in the Caribbean that has been extinct for decades; and a Mediterranean group in which only a few hundred seals remain.

Some experts fear those in Hawaii already may have dwindled past the point of recovery. Scientists studying captive seals say they have a lot to learn about helping wild seals.

"If you don't know what a species eats and you don't know what it needs to reproduce, it's very difficult to manage a species," said Shannon Atkinson of the University of Hawaii.

However, experts know at least some of the reasons monk seals are endangered. They include entanglement in marine debris, shark predation and male aggression.

Scientists have relocated aggressive males, which for unknown reasons kill females and the young. But the problem of marine debris has grown worse despite cleanup efforts.

Some experts want to establish a wild sanctuary by enclosing part of a coral reef. Such conservation efforts have worked on other marine mammals, including the gray whale and the northern elephant seal.

"Through proper conservation and management those species actually turned around," said Antonelis, "and now they are quite abundant."

Correspondent Jim Hill contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Hunters, environmentalists tangle over seal hunting - March 27, 1998
• El Niño puts a damper on elephant seal reunion - January 2, 1998

Related sites:

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• NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS))
• SeaCreatures.com

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