Contingency Plan for Hawaiian Monk Seal Unusual Mortality Events

摘要

Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) were designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1976, following declines of 50% from the late 1950s. In 1988, critical habitat for monk seals was designated as the emergent land, lagoon waters, and ocean waters out to a depth of 20 fathoms (37 m) around breeding islands (excluding the main Hawaiian Islands) and Maro Reef. In 1991, a Protected Species Zone was established out to 50 nautical miles from the islands and the corridors between islands. There are six main reproductive populations of Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI): French Frigate Shoals (FFS), Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Midway Atoll, and Kure Atoll. Smaller numbers are present on Necker Island and Nihoa Island and on the main Hawaiian Islands.