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Species in the Spotlight—Hawaiian Monk Seal

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Species in the Spotlight—Hawaiian Monk Seal SPECIES in the SPOTLIGHT Priority Actions 2021–2025 Species in the Spotlight Priority Actions 2021 - 2025 California Coast Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) Cover: Monk seal at French Frigate Shoals. Credit: Mark Sullivan, NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight: Hawaiian Monk Seal | PRIORITY ACTIONS: 2021 - 2025 The Species in the Spotlight Initiative In 2015, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) launched the Species in the Spot- light initiative to provide immediate, targeted efforts to halt declines and stabilize populations, focus resources within and outside of NOAA on the most at-risk species, guide agency actions where we have discretion to make investments, increase public awareness and support for these species, and expand partnerships. We have renewed the initiative for 2021-2025. The criteria for Species in the Spotlight are that they are extinction. In most cases, we understand the limiting listed as endangered under the Endangered Species factors and threats to these species, and we know that Act (ESA), their populations are declining, and they the necessary management actions have a high prob- are considered a recovery priority #1C (84 FR 18243, ability of success. In some cases, we are prioritizing 4/30/2019). A recovery priority #1C species is one research to better understand the threats so we can whose extinction is almost certain in the immediate future because of rapid population decline or habitat we can’t do this alone. A major part of the Species in the Spotlightfine-tune initiative our actions is to for expand the maximum partnerships effect. and We moti know- development, or economic activity. vate individuals to work with us to get these species on destruction, and because of conflicts with construction, the road to recovery. As of January 2021, the following nine species are our Species in the Spotlight. • Atlantic salmon Gulf of Maine distinct population Priority Action Plans segment (DPS) The 5-year action plan is part of a strategy to marshal resources for species listed under the Endangered • Central California Coast coho salmon evolutionarily Species Act of 1973 (ESA) for which immediate, tar- geted efforts are vital for stabilizing their populations • Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS significant unit (ESU) and preventing their extinction. • Hawaiian monk seal Species in the Spotlight initiative • North Atlantic right whale (added in 2019) has been successful at raising awareness, increasing partnerships,In its first 5 years, and prioritizingthe funding—providing or • leveraging more than $113 million towards projects • Pacific leatherback sea turtle that will help stabilize these highly at-risk species. • Southern resident killer whale DPS Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon ESU We renewed the Species in the Spotlight initiative • White abalone for 2021-2025, and have updated the priority action plans that outline what we need to do to prevent their For some of these species, their numbers are so low extinction. that they need to be bred in captivity; others are facing human threats that must be addressed to prevent their U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 1 Species in the Spotlight: Hawaiian Monk Seal | PRIORITY ACTIONS: 2021 - 2025 The 2021-2025 5-year action plans build upon existing NOAA Fisheries Contacts action, recovery, or conservation plans and detail the If you are interested in working with us, or if you have focused efforts needed over the next 5 years to reduce questions about any of the priority actions contained in threats and stabilize population declines. We will con- this plan, please contact: tinue to engage our partners in the public and private sectors in actions they can take to support this impor- Angela Amlin, Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery tant effort. We will report on our progress through the Biennial Recovering Threatened and Endangered [email protected], 808-725-5164 Species Report to Congress, and on our Species in the Coordinator, Pacific Islands Regional Office, angela. Dr. Michelle Barbieri, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Spotlight web pages. This strategy will continue to guide agency actions [email protected], 808-725-5734 where we have the discretion to make critical invest- Program Lead, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, ments to safeguard these most endangered species. The strategy will not divert resources away from the Hawaiian Monk Seal Status important and continued efforts to support all ESA- The Hawaiian monk seal is one of NOAA Fisheries’ listed species under our authority. Many of our species priority species because there are only about 1,400 have long-standing conservation programs supported Hawaiian monk seals left in the world, and they are by multiple partners. We remain committed to those just beginning to show signs of recovery after at least programs. 60 years of steep population decline. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in This action plan highlights the actions that can be taken the world, and the last surviving species in its genus. by us, other federal and state resource agencies, envi- Hawaiian monk seals occur only in the Hawaiian Islands ronmental organizations, Native American Tribes and Archipelago, which stretches 1,500 miles from Hawaii other partners to work toward turning the trend around Island to Kure Atoll (Figure 1). Hawaiian monk seals are for this species from a declining trajectory toward the only marine mammal species whose recovery and recovery. We appreciate all of our current partners and management falls entirely under the jurisdiction of the collaborators, as the steps we need to take to stabilize these species would not be possible without them. United States. Figure 1. Hawaiian monk seals are native to the Hawaiian Archipelago and found nowhere else in the world. Monk seals are able to move freely between the inhabited main Hawaiian Islands and the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 2 Species in the Spotlight: Hawaiian Monk Seal | PRIORITY ACTIONS: 2021 - 2025 Two weaned pups rest along the shoreline of Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Molokai. Credit: Tracy Mercer, NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian Monk Seal Key Conservation Efforts/Challenges Although much more work remains before the species recovers, NOAA Fisheries and our partners have made Hawaiian monk seals. We are working diligently across thesignificant archipelago headway to address in reducing the many the extinction threats impacting risk of Our efforts have the species. The majority of the monk seal population already resulted (~1,100 animals) inhabits the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where we have focused intensive conserva- in increasing tion and research efforts for over 30 years (Lowry et population trends al. 2011), with a smaller population (~300) in the main Hawaiian Islands that has been growing since the early in some parts of 1990s. Recovery interventions have proven successful the species’ range, thus far: the current population is up to 30 percent bolstering the larger than it would be without these efforts (Harting et al. 2014). We are equipped with the plans, permits, overall growth trend and key stakeholder support to carry on a bold recovery which, for the first initiative that has successfully halted the population decline in the short term and, if sustained, will continue time in decades, is to foster and accelerate recovery for the next 5 to 10 increasing. years and beyond. Our efforts have already resulted in increasing population trends in some parts of the spe- cies’ range, bolstering the overall growth trend which, for the first time in decades, is increasing. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 3 Species in the Spotlight: Hawaiian Monk Seal | PRIORITY ACTIONS: 2021 - 2025 Young monk seal underwater at Pearl and Hermes Reef. Credit: April Surgent Hawaiian monk seal recovery still faces challenges intentionally killed, and have fallen victim to infec- that will take additional resources and commitment tion by a deadly parasite spread through the feces of to overcome. Reversing decades of precipitous popula- domestic cats. The deaths of these seals jeopardize tion decline is no easy task, especially factoring in the recovery and are a clarion call for enhanced local com- logistics of working across an expansive and remote munity engagement in the conservation and recovery archipelago spanning thousands of miles. Biologists of this endemic Hawaiian marine mammal. To combat must be present in those remote areas to intervene and misinformation and misconceptions, we are actively save seals’ lives, as well as to research and monitor the engaging local stakeholders and working with com- population. The growth of the monk seal population munities to build capacity, ownership, knowledge, and in the main Hawaiian Islands, while encouraging, has trust. Through strong partnerships, we can develop also meant increasing numbers of interactions with effective solutions to the challenges of monk seal recovery. fisheries and other ocean users. Monk seals have been U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 4 Species in the Spotlight: Hawaiian Monk Seal | PRIORITY ACTIONS: 2021
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