Monk seal conservation: Can we volunteer?

I would be very interested in taking 10 days’ or 2 weeks’ vacation to help out on a monk seal project. Can you recommend anywhere? It would be great to participate in field work, but also in a rehabilitation centre, or actually anything where I might be helpful. Two weeks may sound like little time, but I can adapt to all sorts of living conditions (bivouac is fine for me) and I'm interested in learning possible new skills, which would be required for the project.

– Thomas d'Eysmond, PhD student in biotechnology and bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland, 5 May 2009.

I have informed myself about the monk seal from your web site. I study Biology in Göttingen and would like to make an internship or work as a volunteer abroad after finishing my diploma, from June onwards, for some months. I would find it extremely exciting to participate in a research project for the protection of the monk seal. Do you have any advice, or do you possibly even know of a project where I might apply?

– L.S., Göttingen, Germany, 31 January 2009.

Editor’s reply: We often receive letters from students and others, enquiring about the possibility of volunteering on monk seal research and conservation projects, or taking up a longer internship. Below, we describe some of the projects and positions currently on offer. Those wishing to apply should contact the projects concerned directly to check on availability and other conditions that may be subject to change.

Greece

	National Marine Park of Alonissos, Northern Sporades.

Where? The National Marine Park of Alonissos, Northern Sporades.

Who? The Management Body of the Park, based on the island of Alonissos.

What? “Volunteers are required to assist in the implementation of the Park's day-to-day Management Program which includes field work and office duties.”

The Park is also offering a postgraduate internship in Mediterranean monk seal research: “We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated people with an interest in marine research and conservation to join us as interns for a 8-12 week period during September-November 2009...” The Management Body adds: “Monk seal monitoring is carried out with the Park’s research boats, a 10m motor cruiser and a 4m inflatable boat and the study method involves visits to monk seal caves (mainly during the night) and recording evidences of animal presence (tracks, faeces, presence of the seal etc). […] Interns must be prepared to become members of the patrol boats’ crew, assisting in the boats’ operation (rope handling, rowing etc), which means involvement of some physical labour.

Further information: The Park website provides extensive information on the types of field and office work it has on offer from “enforcement of the Park's protection measures and regulations [and] monitoring of ecological conditions…” to “filing, letter writing [and] computer orientated […] tasks”: www.alonissos-park.gr

Madeira

	Desertas Islands, Madeira.

Where? The Desertas Islands, a sub-archipelago of Madeira archipelago, a Portuguese territory, located in the Eastern Atlantic.

Who? The Parque Natural da Madeira.

What? The volunteer is integrated in the team of 2 or 3 nature rangers that are responsible for the guarding and monitoring of the monk seals at the Nature Reserve of Desertas Islands, for a 15-day period. The activities on the Desertas, which are managed by the nature ranger leader, also include reception of visitors, maintenance of material and equipment, and all the domestic tasks.

Further information: Accommodation is provided at the Desertas Islands, where a sleeping bag and other personal items are required. The volunteer is responsible for all the other expenses (travel, meals, accommodation in Madeira Island, and insurance to travel in the Portuguese Navy boat and for the stay at the Desertas).

The provisions for the 15 days are bought in Madeira a day before the departure to the Desertas Islands; the expenses are shared by all the team including the volunteer.

Language requirements: Portuguese and English.

Only in exceptional cases do we accept more than one volunteer at the same time.

To apply, please contact Rosa Pires of the Parque Natural da Madeira:

– Information provided by Rosa Pires, PNM.

Turkey

	Installing a photo-trap in a cave on the Cilician coast.

Where? Mersin – Erdemli, south coast of Turkey.

Who? Levant Nature Conservation Society.

What? Monk seal cave monitoring; Monk seal population estimation survey.

Further information: Two principal activities are planned:

Activity 1 – Monk seal cave monitoring, using photo-traps. Based in Mersin – Erdemli, activity will be concentrated on a single breeding cave which is frequently used by seals. The cave used for the experiment is 10 km away from the METU – Institute of Marine Sciences in Mersin.

An experiment will be implemented to analyze the resting time of the seals when they are exposed to different flash intervals. That is, we deploy a photo-trap in a seal cave and change the flashing interval periodically. (A recently-completed study on the possible deterrent effects of photo-traps with visible flash indicated that there is no pronounced effect; however, flash intervals should be taken in to account in order to minimize possible disturbance.)

Duration: From 15 to 30 days per volunteer.

Language requirements: English.

Costs: Accommodation can be provided at the Institute’s student dormitory. Electricity, gas etc. that is consumed should be paid for as well as contributions to cleaning costs. Total costs range between 35-60 euros per month. Lunch (2.5 euros) is served at the Institute only on weekdays, but the dorm has cooking and washing facilities.

Activity 2 – Monk seal population estimation survey. This will be a cruise survey, covering a large area along Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coasts, from the Syrian border to Antalya, as well as the northern coasts of Cyprus. Infrared monitoring systems will be installed in certain caves, previously discovered, that are known to be frequented by seals.

Activity 2 plans to undertake an integrated survey for the first time, covering areas studied in previous surveys. It is expected that spontaneous photographs will be obtained from the installed photo-traps. This will enable us to make more precise population estimates.

Duration: The research cruise will last approximately 15 days.

Language requirements: English.

Costs: Accommodation will be on board. Only contribution to food expenses is expected.

Levant Nature Conservation Society was created by a group of academics from Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences, who work in marine conservation.

More detailed information, exact dates, and contact details will be announced on our web site, www.ecocilicia.org.

– Information provided by Serdar Sakinan, METU-IMS.

Graph of Deep Decline

I am presenting a seminar on the interactions of fisheries and declining marine mammals and have been searching for a graph illustrating the deep decline of the Hawaiian monk seal, but have been unable to locate one that I can put in my PowerPoint presentation.

I've searched your website and come up empty.  Do you have such a graph that you can email me or point me to on your website?

– C.K., University of California, Santa Barbara, 3 December 2008.

Editor’s note: The decline of the Hawaiian monk seal is steep indeed – and the reason, no doubt, that NOAA Fisheries chose a graph depicting the species’ dwindling numbers for the cover of its revised Recovery Plan in 2007. 

NOAA. 2007. Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Revised. National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: 1-165. [PDF  1.2MB]

The editor reserves the right to edit letters for the sake of clarity and space

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