Hawaiian Monk Seal
status: critically endangered
Hawaiian
Taking a snooze on the beach.
Monk
Playtime with friends.
Seal
Look at those eyes!
Hawaiian
Cooling off in the sand.
Monk
Going for a swim.
Seal
Posing for a picture!
facts
efforts & impact
The Hawaiian Monk Seal has been on the United States Endangered Species List since 1976, which is a law that lists provisions to protect the seals. The National Marine Fisheries Service takes care of the population. In 2000, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve began which is said to be helping protect the Hawaiian Monk Seal and its habitat. Currently, they do not have any economic importance. The impact of this seal on the ecosystem is that they prey on 40 species of marine animals that live in the coral atolls with them, including species of teleost fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans.