The Hawaiian monk seal population surpassed 1,500 for the first time in more than two decades.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Division said that won’t be enough to remove the species from the endangered list, according to a May 3 news release. The monk seal population began seeing an increase in 2013, with the species topping 1,500 in 2022.
“We estimate that the total number of monk seals throughout their entire range was 1,570 in 2021. That is a respectable increase since the most recent estimate of 1,435 in 2019,” NOAA Fisheries said, according to the release.
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the world’s most endangered seal species. For almost 40 years, NOAA has monitored the seal population trend, researched threats and taken many actions to save seals, the release reported. Hawaiian monk seals are also one of NOAA’s nine Species in the Spotlight.
Scientists lost track of the seals’ population during the COVID-19 pandemic. That made them nervous as the teams had been used to closely monitoring the seals and being able to help their species' recovery. Once the threat of the pandemic receded, the scientists returned to the field and started actively saving the lives of these animals again, according to the release.
Though the species has made a sizable recovery, its numbers still remain too low for it to be considered threatened instead of endangered, which is how they are currently classed, the release said. Teams of scientists continue to conduct important research and lifesaving interventions on these animals to ensure their long-term prosperity.
