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The Marine Mammal Protection Act: Hawaiian Monk Seal

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

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The Marine Mammal Protection Act: Hawaiian Monk Seal

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  1. The Marine Mammal Protection Act: Hawaiian Monk Seal By: Paige Ayotte, Addison Duffy, & Erika VanHavel

  2. When 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/

  3. Why and How? Why… How… - guidance for the conservation of marine mammals -serve as a management policy 2 main factors: - improvement in science for guiding management with Congressional recognition - public political power and importance of oceanic resources http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2766.htm

  4. Statutes/Amendments • Optimum Sustainable Population level • Section 105- Penalties • Section 110- Marine Mammal Research grants • Section 112- Regulation and administration • Section 119- Marine mammal cooperative agreements in Alaska

  5. How and What? How effective has the policy been? What more should be done? • Penalties in place if act is violated • Brought more awareness • More restrictions • Brought an increase in numbers to almost extinct animals • Only pertains to the United States, efforts to expand globally needs to be pushed further • More education and research need to be done, especially the navy with new technology and how it affects ecosystems • Don’t consistently enforce violators

  6. Biology of Monachusschauinslandi • Belongs to the order pinniped • Pinniped- marine mammals with large eyes, prominent snouts, streamline shapes and swimming flippers • Evolved from terrestrial mammals • Related to bears and dogs

  7. Biology of Monachusschauinslandi • Family Phocidae- “true” seals, without ears • Swim using hind flippers for propulsion and front flippers for stabilization • Thick layer of blubber for insulation, energy reserve, buoyancy aid • “Generalist” feeders- not picky about the sea life they eat

  8. Endemic • The 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

  9. Diet • Fish • Octopus • Squid • Lobster • Can spend up to 1 month at sea to feed • Can eat as much as 10% of their body weight in one day.

  10. Breeding Behavior • Hawaiian 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 pup • Individual 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.

  11. Mobbing • During breeding season males become aggressive • Attack females • Can injure and kill females • Due to small population sizes, and greater male to female ratios

  12. Endangered • The 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

  13. MMA protection • Many 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.

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

  15. Materials & Methods • Main groups 1.) Full rehab -FFS to Oahu, fenced area, health exam, force fed, Kure & Midway “soft” & “hard” release, 6-14 mo 2.) Translocation -FFS right to Kure enclosure for short time • Analytical 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

  16. Results • 104 female monk seals • Data analysis n=74 • Full & translocation • 2005: 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 higher • Movement Patterns -rehab more likely to relocate than control

  17. Survival Charts 1-2 years released 2-3 years released

  18. Discussion • Salvage reproductive potential • Still need to find best approaches: • All vet and med care available, limit seal collection • Flexible to indiv. seals, “soft” release • Release at pup weaning, better post-release monitoring • Overall: rehab successful but careful options and approaches still necessary

  19. Evaluation of captive care and post release behavior of monk seals

  20. Introduction • Prey limitation • Monk seal population continues to decrease • Unsustainable population dynamic • Reintroduction of captive care seals back into wild has direct effect • Monitoring post release behavior of captive care seals compared to control seals

  21. Materials/Methods • Seven juvenile monk seals brought into captive care • Selection based on good health • Measurements weekly • Held in shoreline pens • Treated inconsistently with antibiotics • Released at around one year of age • Three control seals • Diving, behavior, and survival of CC and Control compared

  22. Results • Single yearling died • Normal care of CC seals frequently disrupted by weather • Body condition deterioration then stabilization • Control remained constant • Twin seals died before reaching two • Other four died before reaching two • Control seals still alive into age four • Movements of CC seals more widely dispersed than Control

  23. 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 seal’s admit date until 15 November 2006 with the exception of a weight that was collected on PV02 on 4 November 2006.

  24. 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.

  25. The Emergence of an Important Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachusschauinslandi) Pupping Area at Kalaupapa, Moloka'i, in the Main Hawaiian Islands • Eric Brown ,Guy Hughs, Randall Watanuki, TheaJohanos, Tracy Wurth

  26. Introduction • The entire population resides in the United States and 90% are in the NWHI • In last decade on NWHI: • Pop decrease from 1,400 to 1,100 • This decrease specifically due to food limitations • However in MHI: • Population is increasing • New pupping location- Kalaupapa National Historic Park on Moloka’I • First female began pupping in 1997 and since has grown

  27. Materials and Methods • Kalaupapa was originally a quarantine site for people with leprosy in 1865 • Museum now contains patient oral histories used to document monk seal habitat use over the past century • NMFS has been tagging pups since 1997 • DNA samples • Measurements taken • Data cataloged • Used to calculate site fidelity • Number of pups per female • Lineage • Began surveying patterns of HMS habitats in 2005 • Documented habitat type, location, number of seals, HMS identity, and sex

  28. Results • Museum records showed there were no HMS sightings prior to 1990 and very few during the 90’s • Since 1997, a total of 53 pups have been born • 26 females, 27 males • Number 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 MHI • Of 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%

  29. Discussion • Possible explanations for recent emergence • Decrease in human activity • Area went from a large human settlement, to very remote. • Only allows 100 visitors per day, and records show even fewer visitors • Much shallow water adjacent to 2 sandy beaches used by HMS for pupping • Boulders near shoreline also inhibit shark invasions near the beach • Relatively high, stable amounts of potential prey as compared to heavily populated areas

  30. Literature Cited • Brown, 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: 319-325 • Gilmartin, 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 (monachusschauinslandi).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 (MonachusSchauinslandi). 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

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