May 6, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
For more than two decades, NOAA has been tracking monk seals throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago as part of their larger effort to study and protect this endangered seal. And now you can see all of those tracks online! We have shared our entire archive of satellite telemetry locations through the Animal Telemetry Network. The public can view maps of seal travels and access data using this web portal. NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program is looking forward to the collaborative research opportunities this opens up.
Hawaiian Monk Seals Tracked for Many Purposes
- Research projects include learning about seal space use, travel distances, energy expenditure, habitat use, and foraging behaviors
- Monitoring efforts include tracking seal survival and movement patterns after an intervention such as a veterinary surgery or rehabilitation
- Management concerns include seals that may be translocated to avoid human-seal interactions or moved out of dangerous habitats
Studying how these animals use their environment is a crucial part of NOAA’s larger effort to understand the ecology of Hawaiian monk seals, identify and mitigate threats to survival, and work toward the recovery of this endangered species.