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- Title
The Emergence of an Important Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) Pupping Area at Kalaupapa, Moloka'i, in the Main Hawaiian Islands.
- Authors
Brown, Eric; Hughes, Guy; Watanuki, Randall; Johanos, Thea C.; Wurth, Tracy
- Abstract
The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauin-slandi) is one of the most endangered marine mammals on earth, with the majority (90%) of the population found in the relatively uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and the remaining 10% in the heavily developed main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Since 1998, the total population has declined 4%/y to ∼1,100 animals. Despite this trend, the population in the MHI is increasing, with monk seals pupping at Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Moloka'i. Long-time human residents in Kalaupapa indi-cated that monk seals rarely used the beaches prior to 1997, and no births had been observed since at least 1941. Since 1997, a total of 53 pups have been born, with births increasing at an aver-age annual rate of 26.6%. Reproductively active females born at Kalaupapa exhibited a 55.6% site fidelity. Spatially, monk seal density was higher on sandy beaches (2.0 monk seals km-1) than basalt (0.3 monk seals km-1) habitat. Temporally, monk seal density was highest during the late spring and early summer due to the presence of mother-pup pairs. After weaning, monk seals also used adja-cent basalt habitat and typically moved away from Kalaupapa at the onset of winter; since 2009, monk seal sightings have increased throughout the year. Explanations for the emergence of the pupping area include suitable habitat characteristics (e.g., protected shallow water habitat, high prey abun-dance, and low predator/competitor abundance), reduction of human activities (e.g., elimination of cattle in 1985, sparse [3.4 people km-2] and declin-ing [90% since 1900] human population, and low public visitation [8,494 people y-1]), and a sup-portive community. Current management actions include habitat-use surveys, population studies, community presentations, and law enforcement patrols. Kalaupapa has become a productive pupping area for monk seals in the MHI, and the establishment of a birthing area provides hope for the survival of this endangered species.
- Subjects
LEEWARD Islands (Hawaii); HAWAII; HAWAIIAN monk seal; ANIMAL population density; ENDANGERED species; HABITATS
- Publication
Aquatic Mammals, 2011, Vol 37, Issue 3, p319
- ISSN
0167-5427
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.319