www.nmfs.hawaii.edu

MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL
Monachus monachus
(Hermann 1779)

The Mediterranean monk seal, which can reach a length of just under 10 feet and an average weight of roughly 750 pounds at maturity, is being steadily driven toward extinction by tourism, fishing and pollution, which have markedly increased over the last 50 years.

An earless, gray- or brown-shaded creature who feeds on fish and octopi, the monk seal survives mainly in the rocky islands and caves off the coasts of Greece and Turkey and, to a lesser extent, off the North African coast (It has been driven off the coasts of France and Spain, and from much of the coastline in the Middle East).

Once a thriving species, it may have the longest history of any pinniped. (The order Pinnipedia includes modern seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses.) Plato, Homer and Aristotle all described them in their writings. Today, it is estimated there may be as few as 500, perhaps less, with only 200 or so left in the waters off the Greek Islands. (Its one-time cousin, the Caribbean monk seal, has apparently been wiped out; the fate of the Hawaiian monk seal, another relative, is also looking dire; estimates place the total population at less than 1000. The caves where most Mediterranean monk seals live and breed, seeking a respite from humans, are not entirely safe for pups due to occasional floodings.

The species is also limited by the fact that female monks give birth infrequently, and to only one pup at a time. And with fewer and fewer mating options available due to depopulation, inbreeding (which can weaken a species ability to survive due to disease susceptibility) is on the rise.

Pollution, however, is the biggest single threat to the monk seal. Many European, North African and Middle Eastern countries use the Mediterranean as a sewer, some without the slightest restriction. This, along with an insatiable fishing industry, has depleted the Mediterranean fish population, which the monk depends upon for food. Pollution, has been linked by some analysts to morbillivirus, a viral disease which killed several monks along with hundreds of dolphins in 1991. While a direct link between pollution and morbillivirus has yet to be proven, there is no doubt that a recurrent outbreak among the few surviving Mediterranean monk seals could wipe them out for good.

Clearly, with the monk's habitat touching the coastlines of ten countries, joint cooperation will be needed to help save it from extinction. Given the sparsity of the population, there is no time to waste.

By: Gwen Goodman-Lowe