Madeira’s Monk Seals & Hawaii’s Monk Seals

Monk seals, there is a colony in the region of the Portuguese Madeira Islands are a critically endangered species worldwide.



Historically, there were three species of monk seals:

The Mediterranean monk seal found in the western Mediterranean Sea (primarily off the coasts of Greece and Turkey) and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (off the coast of Africa and on the island of Madeira), and has a population of about 500.

The Hawaiian monk seal, which is found in the Northwest and Main Hawaiian Islands and has a population of about 1,100. The Caribbean monk seal was found in the Caribbean Sea but is now extinct after centuries of human exploitation and hunting.

Rare Hawaiian monk seal lands at UCSC's Long Marine Lab: Scientists hope to learn secrets to save critically endangered species

Ho'ailona, a Hawaiian Monk Seal at The Long Marine Laboratory (Robinson Kuntz/Sentinel)

Image url:

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site6/2010/0318/20100318_083453_19Rseal01_VIEWER.jpg

Ho'ailona, a gregarious male monk seal born in May 2008 who suffers from cataracts, was abandoned by his mother a few days after birth. He was rescued from a beach on the island of Kauai and nursed to health by scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service for a few months before being released back to the wild on Molokai.

The dire status of the two existing monk seal populations has necessitated international conservation initiatives. NOAA scientists and managers are working with experts around the world to help recover monk seals, and the information gained from treating and monitoring H 'ailona's development will help future conservation efforts for the species.

Link:

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14704775?nclick_check=1