HMSRP Hawaiian Monk Seal Telemetry Studies

This project investigates foraging behavior of Hawaiian monk seals by conducting telemetry studies. During these studies, live seals are instrumented with dive recorders and location tags (VHF, satellite tags, cell phone tags), crittercams and other instruments to determine foraging locations and dive and foraging behavior. Information collected include binned dive data, high resolution dive data (depth, time), GPS quality location, satellite estimated location, video.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is the lead agency responsible for the recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal. Each year the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Protected Species Division, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program conducts studies at the main breeding sites to provide information necessary to evaluate (1) the status and trends of the monk seal subpopulations, (2) natural history traits such as survival, reproduction, growth, behavior, and feeding habits, and (3) the success of various activities designed to facilitate population growth. The purpose of telemetry studies is to define Hawaiian monk seal foraging behavior to better understand the links between environment, prey variability, and demography.

Division: Protected Species

Division Chief: Charles Littnan

Program: PSD Foraging Ecology

Ownership: PIFSC

Study Area: Northwestern and main Hawaiian Islands

Spatial Resolution: Meters

Temporal Resolution: Depending on instrument could be minutes to days

Frequency of Collection: Intermittent, inconsistent

Time of collection: Variable

Types of Data Collected: Binned dive data, high resolution dive data (depth, time), GPS quality location, satellite estimated location

Collection Method: Archival dive recorders, satellite/cell phone relayed data to computer

Recording Media: Data recorded on instrument and transfered to harddrive or on cd provided by satellite company

Collection Standards of the Data or Creation Standards of the Data Product: Available

Automated QC Procedures: Available

Storage Location: CD's in cabinet in PSD (rm 123), backed up on harddrive (Charles Littnan), backed up on server

Storage Media / Format: Computer hard drive, CD

Backups: Available

Update Schedule: Monthly when instruments are deployed

Data Distribution Method: CD

Format of Data / Products on web server: ASCII (text), other (maps)

1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg 176, Honolulu, HI 96818

Hawaiian Monk Seal Program only unless otherwise authorized by contact

Contact Data Control Person - Charles Littnan (charles.littnan@noaa.gov)

Not to be distributed until publication or approval by contact

Use of the data set must be cleared with NMFS/PIFSC, Protected Species Division. These data are PRELIMINARY and have not be completely screened for accuracy. NOAA can not be held liable for use of these data in a manner other than for perusal of preliminary data. The developers of these data are concerned with assuring its proper use. Before data are used to draw specific scientific conclusions, potential users are requested to contact NMFS/PIFSC, Protected Species Division for background on the data. Acknowledgement of the data should be cited. Different versions of the dataset may exist. The user must be sure to use the appropriate data set for the time period of interest. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable, NOAA cannot assume liablility for any damages or misrepresentation caused by any inaccuracies in the data or as a result of changes to the data caused by system transfers.