The birth of two Hawaiian monk seal pups over the summer at Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to save the endangered species.
The pups are the first offspring researchers are aware of from mothers that were rescued and cared for seven to eight years ago at the Ke Kai Ola hospital for monk seals — a sign they not only survived, but thrived after their release.
“This is, for sure, cause for celebration,” said Michelle Barbieri, lead scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program. “To have two seals that have now given birth to pups of their own, we’re seeing our investment has doubled in return.”
NOAA teams documented the births while posted at annual field camps in the remote isles over the summer, where they conduct seal and turtle population counts and other research, and remove marine debris that threatens wildlife.
They confirmed that a monk seal known as Meleana gave birth to a pup at Pearl and Hermes Reef, or Manawai. Another seal, Ama‘ama, gave birth to a pup at French Frigate Shoals, or Lalo.
Both gave birth to healthy pups that have since been weaned, according to Barbieri.
The births are a testament to the success of a partnership between NOAA and The Marine Mammal Center, which in 2014 opened Ke Kai Ola, a hospital dedicated to the care of the endangered seals, in Kailua-Kona.
Meleana was one of the first patients there in 2014, and Ama‘ama was there in 2015, both as malnourished pups from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in need of fattening up before being released back to the wild.
Malnourished pups from the NWHI have a slim chance of surviving, said Barbieri. Some are underweight because they were weaned too early, while others did not receive enough milk from their moms. They lack the fat reserves needed to transition to feeding themselves in the wild.
“A lot of these seals would have been pretty much guaranteed not to make it to their first birthday,” she said.
Before Ke Kai Ola there was nowhere to take these pups or juveniles, and researchers left them, knowing their odds of survival were slim to none.
Now, during research trips, scientists routinely identify malnourished pups at Papahanaumokuakea to transport back to Ke Kai Ola — sometimes with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard — for rehabilitation. Barbieri said the team has prioritized female pups for their role in reproduction.
At Ke Kai Ola the seals are tube-fed fish-mash smoothies, along with vitamins and electrolytes to boost hydration, then progress to live fish. When the seals are determined to be ready, they are released back to Papahanaumokuakea.
Once seals make it to their third year, Barbieri said, their odds of survival increase.
“I really want to think they’re going to have pups,” said Barbieri, “and those pups that survive will have pups of their own, and that payoff will continue in time.”
Since 2014 the center has rehabilitated and released 38 monk seals, and estimates about 30% of seals alive today survived due to NOAA’s conservation efforts.
The seals at the hospital mostly have been from Papahanaumokuakea but also are from the main Hawaii Islands. The hospital also treats seals that swallowed fishing hooks or suffer from eye injuries, pneumonia or other infections, among other ailments.
“For an endangered species, every patient matters,” said Dr. Sophie Whoriskey, the center’s Hawaiian monk seal conservation veterinarian, in a news release. “The birth of these two Hawaiian monk seal pups from former patients is a real milestone to this endangered population and is a powerful example of the impact of conservation efforts by NOAA and programs like ours.”
And the work continues, with four more underweight seals from Papahanaumokuakea recently admitted to Ke Kai Ola.
The news of the offspring, in addition to news in May that the population of Hawaiian monk seals had surpassed 1,500 for the first time in more than 20 years, are both milestones.
Still, monk seals are considered one of the most endangered seal species in the world, with current counts at a third of historic population levels. NOAA estimates there are 1,570 seals, with nearly 1,200 in the NWHI and 400 in the main Hawaii Islands.
The population would have to more than double to move from endangered to threatened status, Barbieri said.
In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, threats include predators such as sharks, entanglement in nets and marine debris, and, increasingly, habitat loss due to the impacts of climate change.
Barbieri said at French Frigate Shoals, some isles that were previously used by seals to give birth to pups are barely emergent anymore.
In the main Hawaiian Islands, threats include fisheries entanglements — pups caught in fishing nets and hookings — as well as toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a parasite found in cat feces.
There also is a greater risk of disturbances and interactions with humans, as was the case when Rocky the monk seal recently gave birth to her 14th pup at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.
HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS
>> Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to Hawaii, meaning they occur nowhere else in the world.
>> Monk seals are protected by Hawaii law as well as the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
>> NOAA asks the public to keep a safe distance of at least 50 feet from monk seals and 150 feet from mom-and-pup pairs. Report monk seal sightings, injuries and entanglements to NOAA’s hotline at 888-256-9840.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
