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Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Locations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' Pacific Science (1990), vol. 44, no. 4: 366-383 0 1990 by University of Hawaii Press. All rights reserved Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Locations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' ROBINL. wESTLAKE2'3 AND WILLIAM G. GILMARTIN' ABSTRACT: Most births of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, Monuchus schuuinslundi, occur in specific beach areas in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Data collected from 1981 to 1988 on the locations of monk seal births and of the first sightings of neonatal pups were summarized to identify preferred birth and nursery habitats. These areas are relatively short lengths of beach at the breeding islands and have some common characteristics, of which the pri- mary feature is very shallow water adjacent to the shoreline. This feature, which limits access by large sharks to the water used by mother-pup pairs during the day, should enhance pup survival. THE HAWAIIANMONK SEAL, Monachus at Kure Atoll, Midway Islands, and Pearl and schauinslundi, is an endangered species that Hermes Reef. Some of the reduced counts occurs primarily in the Northwestern Ha- were reportedly due to human disturbance waiian Islands (NWHI) from Nihoa Island (Kenyon 1972). Depleted also, but less drama- to Kure Atoll (Figure 1). The seals breed at tically during that time, were the populations these locations as well, with births mainly oc- at Lisianski and Laysan islands. Although curring from March through June and peaking one could speculate that a net eastward move- in May. Sightings of monk seals are frequent ment of seals could account for the increase around the main Hawaiian Islands and rare in seals at FFS along with the reductions at at Johnston Atoll, about 1300 km southwest the western end, the available data on resight- of Honolulu (Schreiber and Kridler 1969). ings of tagged individuals do not support such Recently, a tagged seal was observed near a conclusion (Johnson and Kridler 1983). Wake Island, about 3650 km west of Honolulu During the last decade, monk seal births (M. Pons, pers. comm.), and two monk seals were confirmed at all of the NWHI: Nihoa were seen at Palmyra Island, 1670 km south of Island, Necker Island, FFS, Laysan Island, Honolulu (J. Hughes, pers. comm.). Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Reef, In the late 1950s, about 1200 monk seals Midway Islands, and Kure Atoll (Figure 1). were counted on NWHI beaches, but by the In the main Hawaiian Islands, a single birth mid- 1970s, counts revealed less than half that occurred in 1988 on the island of Kauai, and number (Kenyon and Rice 1959, Johnson et there have been unconfirmed reports of a few al. 1982). Counts at some locations at the births per year on Niihau. Some females show northwestern end of the Hawaiian Archipe- high fidelity for previous parturition sites. lago had declined by more than 90%, while Mother-pup pairs generally stay near the birth the number of observed seals grew at least site in the early weeks of nursing, but some sixfold at French Frigate Shoals (FFS). These may slowly move along the beach, up to a few changes left very small breeding populations hundred meters away from the birth site, as the pup gets older and weaning time ap- proaches (Alcorn 1984). Weaning occurs at 5 ' Manuscript accepted 1 December 1989. to 6 weeks of age. Southwest Fisheries Center Honolulu Laboratory, Birth and nursing sites around the breeding National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822-2396. islands tend to be concentrated at specific Current address: Southwest Fisheries Center, P.O. beach locations, based on several years of Box 271, La Jolla, California 92038-0271. observations during the prolonged pupping 366 Monk Seal Pupping LOCatiOnS-WESTLAKE AND GILMARTIN 367 i . 0. P In. P 0 2‘ E- .In 3 H %- h,’ -1 3 c-.0 i . 0,s 368 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 44, October 1990 season. This report summarizes the current information on the “preferred” birth and postnatal nursing sites of Hawaiian monk seals in the NWHI and identifies the apparent characteristics of this preferred pupping habitat. MATERIALS AND METHODS The information used to identify the birth and nursing sites of monk seals from 1981 to 1988 in the NWHI was obtained from pub- lished reports and unpublished National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) data listed in Table 1. The descriptions of the sites were prepared from a combination of published and unpublished information, including pho- tographs, maps, and charts; interviews with individuals familiar with the sites; and the authors’ observations of these locations in recent years. Much of the information on beach use by monk seals before 1981 does not contain de- tails on birth sites. With few exceptions, field time was very short relative to the extended pupping season of monk seals. From 1977 to 198 1, the entire pupping season or most of it was monitored at Laysan Island (Johnson and Johnson 1984). Beginning in 1981 at Kure Atoll and expanding to all other major breed- ing islands in the following years, the NMFS identified all observed birth sites and nursing locations by recording the appropriate sectors of the various islands. The sectors include all of the potential haul-out areas (places where seals come out of the water to rest, molt, give birth, etc.) on the permanent islands in the NWHI. Sectors are delineated by natural or man-made markings and may vary in size within and among the NWHI. The small, semipermanent sand-spit islets are not simi- larly partitioned; seals on these islets are sim- ply noted as being present, without more specific information on location. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The volume of data available on birth sites of monk seals in the NWHI varies among the island locations and years. These data Monk Seal Pupping Locations-WESTLAKE AND GILMARTIN 369 were reported inconsistently by observers of the number of births or birth locations. One Hawaiian monk seals from the late 1950s until mother-pup pair was seen each year in 1986 1977at LaysanIslandand 1981-1982at other and 1987 at Derby’s Landing (T. Gerrodette, islands. Although all birth sites observed since pers. comm.). The very limited haul-out areas 1981 have been documented, the pattern of at Nihoa Island will keep this seal population field effort of the NMFS on the breeding small. islands has varied. Determination of pupping sites has been incidental to other NMFS monk Necker Island seal research and recovery activities. Despite these limitations, all of the major breeding Necker Island also is a small (1 7 ha) remnant islands (with the exception of Pearl and of volcanic rock with high, steep slopes (maxi- Hermes Reef) since 1981 have had nearly full mum elevation of 84 m) and has only a few coverage of at least two pupping seasons in rocky ledges that can be used by monk seals. which dates and locations of all observed The bottom along the entire perimeter of the births were recorded. The available data from island drops quickly to at least several meters the late 1950s to the present do not indicate deep. that these observed patterns have varied, ex- Data on nursing pups at Necker Island cept at Kure Atoll, where human disturbance were collected intermittently during 1982- has been an important factor (unpubl. data). 1987, with coverage ranging from 1 day to 2 Locations of birth sites and first sightings weeks each year (Table 2). Most mother-pup of nursing mother-pup pairs (where pups were pairs were on the west side of Shark Bay in less than 1 week old), along with descriptions sector 5 (Figure 2, bottom). A basalt ledge of these sites, are presented below, beginning with a few small tide pools at the shoreline, at the eastern end of the NWHI. sector 5a appears to be the primary rookery and haul-out area, although no births have been witnessed. The water beyond the tide Nihoa pools off sector 5a is at least 2 m deep, enough to allow sharks along the ledge. Although The easternmost island of the NWHI is this area normally receives little wave action Nihoa Island, a 63-ha remnant of a precipi- during the pupping season, waves can wash tous volcanic peak with a maximum elevation completely over this ledge during summer of 273 m (Clapp et al. 1977). With few excep- storms (WGG, personal observation). The tions, the island’s shoreline perimeter is steep few other haul-out sites for seals at Necker lava cliffs. The west side has a large lava Island are much smaller and are predomi- bench, and the westernmost cove on the south nantly used by adult males, which may dis- side has a small, sandy beach, known as courage use of these areas for pupping. Ten of Derby’s Landing, that monk seals use as a 11 mother-pup pairs were sighted in sector 5a haul-out and pupping area (Figure 2, top). during 6 yr of observations; the other pair was Two other coves on the south side have small, sighted in sector 8 in 1982 (Conant 1985). rock terraces whose accessibility to the seals No nursing or weaned pups were seen during is dependent on tide and sea conditions. The short trips to Necker Island in May of 1986 cliffs along the north and east sides of Nihoa and 1987 (T. Gerrodette, pers. comm.). As at Island rise straight from the ocean, and only Nihoa Island, the limited haul-out space pre- a few rocky outcroppings potentially can be vents Necker Island from becoming a major used by the seals. The bottom along the entire breeding site. shoreline drops off quickly. Up to two weaned pups per year were sighted at Derby’s Landing during brief visits French Frigate Shoals from 1981 to 1986 (S.
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