The Marine Mammal Protection Act: Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Marine Mammal Protection Act: Hawaiian Monk SealBy: Paige Ayotte, Addison Duffy, & Erika VanHavelWhen and Who?Public Law October 21, 1972 (Ray & Potter, 2011) Passed by Congress (Ray & Potter, 2011)Monk seals, walruses, dolphins, whales, sea lions

http://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html

http://scaquaquaticanimalcareprogram.blogspot.com/Why and How?WhyHow - guidance for the conservation of marine mammals

- serve as a management policy2 main factors:- improvement in science for guiding management with Congressional recognition

- public political power and importance of oceanic resourceshttp://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2766.htmStatutes/AmendmentsOptimum Sustainable Population levelSection 105- Penalties Section 110- Marine Mammal Research grantsSection 112- Regulation and administrationSection 119- Marine mammal cooperative agreements in Alaska

Smaller pictures, beluga/dolphin4

How and What?How effective has the policy been?What more should be done?Penalties in place if act is violatedBrought more awareness More restrictionsBrought an increase in numbers to almost extinct animalsOnly pertains to the United States, efforts to expand globally needs to be pushed furtherMore education and research need to be done, especially the navy with new technology and how it affects ecosystemsDont consistently enforce violatorsBiology of Monachus schauinslandiBelongs to the order pinniped Pinniped- marine mammals with large eyes, prominent snouts, streamline shapes and swimming flippersEvolved from terrestrial mammalsRelated to bears and dogs

Biology of Monachus schauinslandiFamily Phocidae- true seals, without earsSwim using hind flippers for propulsion and front flippers for stabilizationThick layer of blubber for insulation, energy reserve, buoyancy aidGeneralist feeders- not picky about the sea life they eat

EndemicThe HMS is believed to be an endemic species, meaning it is specific to the islands and exists nowhere else. It evolved on the islands.One of 2 endemic species- other is Hoary bat

DietFishOctopus Squid LobsterCan spend up to 1 month at sea to feedCan eat as much as 10% of their body weight in one day.Breeding BehaviorHawaiian monk seals breed in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Remote islands and atolls provide the privacy the monk seals need. Gestation of 1 year, litter size of 1 pupIndividual monk seals will rest on beaches of the main Islands, such as Oahu and Kauai, but do not tend to stay. They are extremely sensitive to intervention by humans.

MobbingDuring breeding season males become aggressiveAttack femalesCan injure and kill femalesDue to small population sizes, and greater male to female ratios

EndangeredThe population of the Hawaiian monk seal is currently estimated to be between 1,500 and 1,200 individuals. They are considered an endangered species.Second most endangered pinniped species in the world.Sealing and commercial fishing, habitat disturbances, lack of food recourses largely to blame

MMA protectionMany laws and regulations have protected the seals against human disturbance and habitat destruction.Numbers have increased since major hunting in 1800s, and military disturbances in 1980s- slow reproduction rate makes for slow recovery.

Rehabilitation and Relocation of Young Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi)Gilmartin et al., 2011Introduction-Late 50s-70s rapid decline at NWHI-Head Start project 80s boost survival-Kure, Midway & French Frigate Shoals (FFS)- 1984-1995 rehab efforts- Prior attempts work, are the rehab helped, & differences in movement patterns

Materials & MethodsMain groups1.) Full rehab-FFS to Oahu, fenced area, health exam, force fed, Kure & Midway soft & hard release, 6-14 mo2.) Translocation-FFS right to Kure enclosure for short timeAnalytical Tests-net benefit: total population and relocated seals & offspring 2005-control: untreated seals in area-unknown mothers of 2005 pups: assume equal distribution between treated and control-movement rates: release sites to subsequent sites

Results104 female monk sealsData analysis n=74Full & translocation2005: 32 confirmed seals from rehab ones (9%)Without rehab, FFS 2005 zero seals

Survival-1-2 yrs after release, rehab and control groups similar -2-3 yrs after release, rehab group higherMovement Patterns-rehab more likely to relocate than control

Survival Charts1-2 years released

2-3 years released

DiscussionSalvage reproductive potential

Still need to find best approaches:All vet and med care available, limit seal collectionFlexible to indiv. seals, soft releaseRelease at pup weaning, better post-release monitoring

Overall: rehab successful but careful options and approaches still necessary

Evaluation of captive care and post release behavior of monk seals

IntroductionPrey limitationMonk seal population continues to decreaseUnsustainable population dynamicReintroduction of captive care seals back into wild has direct effect Monitoring post release behavior of captive care seals compared to control seals

Materials/MethodsSeven juvenile monk seals brought into captive careSelection based on good health Measurements weeklyHeld in shoreline pens

Treated inconsistently with antibioticsReleased at around one year of ageThree control sealsDiving, behavior, and survival of CC and Control comparedResultsSingle yearling died Normal care of CC seals frequently disrupted by weatherBody condition deterioration then stabilizationControl remained constant

Twin seals died before reaching twoOther four died before reaching twoControl seals still alive into age fourMovements of CC seals more widely dispersed than Control

Figure 1. Weights for the seven female monk seals included in the 2006-2007 CC project; no weights were collected at Midway Atoll from each seals admit date until 15 November 2006 with the exception of a weight that was collected on PV02 on 4 November 2006.

Figure 2. Filtered Fast-GPS locations for the six weanling CC seals (black- and white-filled circles) and three control weanling seals (gray-filled circles) at Midway Atoll (a-c) and Kure Atoll (d); the 6-m isobath (black line) approximates the outer extent of the atoll lagoons. Land = light-gray shading and 200-m isobath = gray line.The Emergence of an Important Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) Pupping Area at Kalaupapa, Moloka'i, in the Main Hawaiian IslandsEric Brown ,Guy Hughs, Randall Watanuki, Thea Johanos, Tracy WurthIntroductionThe entire population resides in the United States and 90% are in the NWHIIn last decade on NWHI:Pop decrease from 1,400 to 1,100This decrease specifically due to food limitationsHowever in MHI:Population is increasingNew pupping location- Kalaupapa National Historic Park on MolokaIFirst female began pupping in 1997 and since has grownThis decrease is seen in the NWHI, and decreases juvinile survival rate.26Materials and MethodsKalaupapa was originally a quarantine site for people with leprosy in 1865Museum now contains patient oral histories used to document monk seal habitat use over the past centuryNMFS has been tagging pups since 1997DNA samplesMeasurements takenData catalogedUsed to calculate site fidelityNumber of pups per femaleLineageBegan surveying patterns of HMS habitats in 2005Documented habitat type, location, number of seals, HMS identity, and sexNational marine fisheries service- site fidelity defined as the number of female pups born and returned to pup after reaching sexual maturity27ResultsMuseum records showed there were no HMS sightings prior to 1990 and very few during the 90sSince 1997, a total of 53 pups have been born26 females, 27 malesNumber of pups born increased annually at a rate of 26.6% (11.4% SE)The annual birth rate at Kalaupapa accounts for 35.8% of the increase of pupping documented in MHIOf 14 sexually mature females, 8 were observed after 3 yrs.5 of these 8 returned to Kalaupapa to pup at least once.Pupping site fidelity- 55.6%

DiscussionPossible explanations for recent emergenceDecrease in human activityArea went from a large human settlement, to very remote. Only allows 100 visitors per day, and records show even fewer visitorsMuch shallow water adjacent to 2 sandy beaches used by HMS for puppingBoulders near shoreline also inhibit shark invasions near the beachRelatively high, stable amounts of potential prey as compared to heavily populated areasRemoved cattle and human disturbances is most likely the primary reason for this new emergence, however, there is the question of whether or no this is a preexsisting area that was abandoned to actually new. Either way this is a good sign that the protection of this species is helping.29Literature CitedBrown, E., Hughes, G., Watanuki, R., Johanos, T.C., Wurth, T. 2011. The Emergence of an Important Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Area at Kalaupapa in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Aquatic Mammals. 37.3: 319-325Gilmartin, W. G., A.C. Sloan, A.L. Harting, T.C. Johanos, J.D. Baker, M. Breese, T.J. and Ragen. 2011. Rehabilitation and relocation of young hawaiian monk seals (monachus schauinslandi).Aquatic Mammals 37: 332-341.Gullard, M.D Frances. L. Charles Norris. A. Tenaya .2011. Evaluation of the Captive Care and Post Release Behavior and Survival of Seven Juvenile Female Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus Schauinslandi). Aquatic Mammals, 37: 342-353.Ray, G.C. and F.M. Potter. 2011. The making of the marine mammal protection act of 1972. Aquatic Mammals. 37: 522-552