Why does the monk seal need more habitat protected?
The Hawaiian monk seal is on the verge of extinction. It is projected that in the next few years there may be less than 1,000 individual Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild. The Hawaiian monk seal’s Caribbean cousin has already been declared extinct with the Mediterranean not fairing much better. Without dramatic effort, the Hawaiian monk seal will follow the same path. Studies have confirmed that one of the most important factors determining the fate of a species is whether it has sufficient habitat or not. Unfortunately, the last viable monk seal on earth does not have sufficient habitat protected for its survival. Scientists have confirmed that Hawaiian monk seals forage in waters far deeper than originally assumed. Unfortunately, those waters are not protected from federal activities that could harm the seals’ chance at finding food. That is why deeper waters in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument need to be protected. Similarly, sea level rise may be encouraging more a
