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The NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette<\/em> is on a 23-day research expedition in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) to study two highly valued components of Hawaii’s marine ecosystem, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the threatened green turtle. The information gained will support NOAA’s efforts to recover populations of these protected species.<\/p>\nMonk seal research is a primary focus of scientists at NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. Staff of the Center’s Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) annually monitor the status of monk seals at remote locations in the NWHI, conduct research to better understand factors affecting abundance of the seals, and find ways to enhance population recovery. For several months each year, MMRP staff work out of seasonal field camps at the five major monk seal breeding locations in the NWHI. During its current voyage, the Sette<\/em> will deploy researchers and their equipment at five sites where seasonal camps will be set up: French Frigate Shoals, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Reef, and Kure Atoll. The ship will also support seal censuses at 2 other sites, Nihoa Island and Necker Island. No camps will be established at these locations; instead, the Sette<\/em> will deploy scientists in small boats to conduct work ashore.<\/p>\n