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New books focus on the Caribbean monk seal

Two new books announced last week focus on the extinct Caribbean monk seal, Monachus tropicalis.

Caribbean Monk Seals: Lost Seals of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea by John Hairr is published by Coachwhip Publications, and includes sections on the species’ various fateful interactions with humans, from native Americans to European explorers, hunters and ‘scientific’ expeditions.

The publisher states: ‘The Caribbean monk seal was a significant and charismatic member of the tropical marine ecosystem of southern Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Author John Hairr delves into the fascinating history of a marine mammal that met its match in man, as overhunting for meat and oil (and even scientific specimens) drove it to extinction. Hairr looks at the intersections between this seal and the various cultures it encountered over the centuries, the narratives of a playful pinniped from the few times it was kept in captivity, and the expeditions that sought out any last remaining survivors of a vanishing species.’

Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Coachwhip Publications (January 3, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1616460636
ISBN-13: 978-1616460631
Price: $14.95 (USD)

The second book, Remembering a Species: A History of the Caribbean Monk Seal in Captivity by Charles Epting, is published by Lulu, the publisher’s blurb stating: ‘This book chronicles the fascinating, untold story of the Caribbean Monk Seal: the only seal native to the Caribbean Sea, the only species of true seal that has gone extinct in recent times, and, perhaps most interestingly, the only species of recently extinct mammalian carnivore that was displayed in captivity. This book looks at both scientific sources and primary sources to gather what is known about this species’ life in captivity in one volume.’

Paperback: 73 pages
Publisher: Lulu  (December 4, 2010)
ISBN 978-0-557-92778-4
Price: $7.95 (paperback) | $3.95 (download PDF)

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Police intervene to help Badem

Orphaned Mediterranean monk seal Badem, released from  summer captivity in November by her carers, SAD-AFAG, was soon sighted around the Datça Peninsula, according to various Turkish press reports. Although SAD-AFAG has stressed, and stressed again, the importance of avoiding contact with the rescued seal in order to help Badem lose her attachment to humans, curious onlookers continue to disturb and harass the animal.

In the latest case, police intervened to cordon off a boat on which Badem was resting, so that she could catch a few hours’ sleep.

Full Story and Gallery: Fok Badem polis yardımıyla dinlenebildi! CNN Türk.

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Cat parasite threat to Hawaiian monk seals

Media Watch, Environmental Health News, 8 December 2010

On the beaches of the Hawaiian islands, monk seals are dying from a pathogen in cat feces that is carried to the ocean in polluted runoff and sewage. Experts worry that the disease, toxoplasmosis, will derail efforts to restore the endangered species. With only about 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, the deaths are “very concerning and put toxo as one of our primary concerns” for the species, says NOAA scientist Charles Littnan. Throughout most of Hawai`i, surface water quality ranges from “slightly impaired to severely impaired,” according to a state assessment. In particular, runoff from densely populated watersheds on Maui and O`ahu likely contains pathogens that infect the seals. […]

Full Story

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JUST PUBLISHED: Monachus Guardian December 2010

Just published: the December 2010 issue of The Monachus Guardian, the biannual journal focusing on the Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean monk seals.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CURRENT ISSUE:

Guest Editorial: Growing up with monk seals in Madeira, by Gil Pereira.

International News: IUCN let down…

Hawaiian News: Updates from Papahānaumokuākea and the Main Hawaiian Islands…

Mediterranean News: Greece: Lazarus dies in rehab… Mauritania: New productivity record… Turkey: Monk seal pup rescued in Aydıncık, Mersin…

Cover Story: Cave habitats used by Mediterranean monk seals in Sardinia, by Luigi Bundone.

In Focus I: Mediterranean monk seal mortality in 2010 in Greece, by Marianna Psaradellis, Vangelis Paravas and Alexandros A. Karamanlidis.

In Focus II: Three monk seal encounters in the Northern Gulf of Evia, Greece, by Giovanni Bearzi and Silvia Bonizzoni.

Perspectives: A new healthcare facility for Hawaiian monk seals in Kona, Hawaii, by Jeff Boehm.

Letters to the Editor: including Genetic scepticism – just how important is genetic research to the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal?

Recent Publications

The current and back issues of The Monachus Guardian are also available from the Monk Seal Library.

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A Privilege to See

Media Watch, The National Parks of the Pacific Region, 4 December 2010

This video, a joint project of various agencies/organizations including NOAA, features members of Kauai’s Native Hawaiian community sharing their perspectives on the Hawaiian monk seal.

Full Story

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International petition calls for IUCN action on Mediterranean monk seals

A Care2 petition is attempting to raise a target of 1,000 signatures to present to IUCN, the World Conservation Union on behalf of the critically-endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

The petition urges the international organisation to take action to save the species.

An IUCN General Assembly Resolution in 2008 called upon its Secretary General and Pinniped Specialist Group to mount an international effort on behalf of Europe’s most endangered marine mammal — so far to little tangible effect.

Sign the Petition