Student Connection

Just in from the Ship

May 16, 2000  The TOWNSEND CROMWELL is well into the Protected Species Investigation cruise. The objective of this cruise is to set up or resupply rermote field camps on the uninhabited islands within the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. So far we have stopped at French Frigate Shoals, Laysan Island, and Lisianski Island. We offloaded supplies and people so that restoration and observation work can be carried out for months at a time. All this is done by small boats. The main focus of their time there is to monitor the Hawaiian monk seal population.

Hawaiian monk seals live throughout the Hawaiian island chain. They range from as far north as Kure Atoll in the north-western part of the chain, to as far south as the Big Island in the south-eastern part. The main island area is sparsely populated while the majority of individuals reside in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). This stretch of Hawaii is uninhabited and begins at Nihoa Island. The archipelago (island chain) ends just before the date line at Kure atoll. These uninhabited islands are all protected habitat as part of three refuges, the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and the Kure Atoll Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary.

Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species found only within Hawaiian waters. They belong to the genus Monachus and their species name is schauinslandi There are only three known species of Monachus. The other two are the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis). There are less than 400 individual Mediterranean monk seals left in existence and the Caribbean monk seal is believed to be extinct.

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is in danger of extinction with only between 1300 and 1400 individuals remaining today. The Hawaiian monk seal is the most endangered seal and second most endangered marine mammal in all of North America.

The Field Biotechnicians that stay at these island camps count, tag and mark the seals so that accurate numbers can be kept. They also observe seabirds and monitor vegetation to make sure foreign species don't overrun the native vegetation. It takes a lot of supplies and equipment to support their efforts. The TOWNSEND CROMWELL stops at these islands several times a year to carry cargo and technicians to and from the islands Our next stop is Kure Atoll where we will drop off three people and lots of equipment. We will still be a day away from Honolulu next Monday so the update will tell you how the rest of the cruise went.

Last modified May 16,  2000