The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument has published a draft Natural Resources Science Plan, outlining a range of proposed research programmes aimed at promoting the conservation and recovery of both habitat and specially protected species. Among those species is the critically-endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
“In light of the ever-worsening crisis for the Hawaiian monk seal population,” states the draft report, “a great deal of management-driven research will be conducted to reverse this trend. The Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian Monk Seal (NMFS 2007) lists 11 short-term management actions, many of which will benefit from additional research. These actions include investigating factors affecting food limitation, researching methods to reduce shark predation on monk seals, researching methods to minimize exposure and spread of infectious disease, and investigating and developing response to biotoxin impacts, among others.”
The report can be downloaded at: http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/research
The report is open to public review and comment. written comments should be received on
or before August 10th, 2009, states the PMNM administration, while two public meetings will also be held (see http://papahanaumokuakea.gov for further details).