28586 HMSRP Observation of Hawaiian monk seal behavioral interactions - Oahu and Laysan Island, 2015 Data Set Published / External 12926 HMSRP Hawaiian Monk Seal Survival Enhancement Special Projects Metadata Portfolio Project Completed 2018-02-27 Infectious disease has the potential to pose serious risk to Hawaiian Monk Seal populations. HMSRP is currently researching and evaluating methods to minimize disease threats to this endangered population, including potential vaccination programs. Observation of seal behavior and social interactions will provide information critical to understanding contact rates between animals which will aid our efforts modeling epidemiological processes and planning vaccination or other disease risk mitigation strategies. To provide this crucial data on seal behavior and contact rates this project aims to: • Describe the haul-out patterns and numbers of seals using haul-out beaches on Oahu in the MHI and Laysan in the NWHI. • Document individual seal behavior and interactions between seals; o especially with regard to different types of potentially infectious contacts. o with attention to age/sex patterns that may help identify generalities of high-risk seals. Better understand the behavioral ecology of monk seals, particularly social behavior and interactions between seals, this will aid research and recovery efforts related to epidemiology as well as seal aggression. Theme Behavior Theme Hawaiian monk seal Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Honolulu HI USA Data Set CSV Files Irregular Table (digital) visual observation NA NA 51661 Published / External Spreadsheet 2015 Behavior Study, conducted to collect data for social network analysis Date DATE No No Active Calendar date Observer TEXT No No Active Observer's initials Island_Beach TEXT No No Active Name of island sector (on Laysan) or beach (on Oahu) where observations took place Data_Type TEXT No No Active Describes the type of seal usage for the beach being observed: general, favored bachelor site (bach), favored mother-pup site (mompup), favored site for male-female pairs (mfpair) Focal_area_size NUMBER No No Active In instances where seals were visible far down the beach, the focal observation area was constrained to what could be reliably observed, indicated here in meters Temp NUMBER No No Active Temp Temperature Clouds NUMBER No No Active Estimated cloud cover Wind TEXT No No Active Estimated wind speed/direction Precip NUMBER No No Active Severity of precipitation from 0 (none) to 3 (heavy) Max_Seals_in_100m NUMBER No No Active Maximum number of seals observed within 100m of the observation area Seal1 TEXT No No Active Letter indicating first seal in an interaction SEAL1ID TEXT No No Active Identification of first seal in an interaction Sex1 TEXT No No Active Sex of first seal in an interaction Size1 TEXT No No Active Size class (proxy for age) first seal in an interaction Seal2 TEXT No No Active Letter indicating second seal in an interaction SEAL2ID TEXT No No Active SEAL2ID Identification of second seal in an interaction Sex2 TEXT No No Active Sex of second seal in an interaction Size2 TEXT No No Active Size class (proxy for age) second seal in an interaction Time TEXT No No Active Time of day of observation Beach NUMBER No No Active Indication whether seals were on the beach (1) or in the water (0) Distance NUMBER No No Active Distance class describing proximity of seals in the observed interaction Behavior1 TEXT No No Active Codes for interaction behaviors Behavior2 TEXT No No Active Codes for interaction behaviors Behavior3 TEXT No No Active Codes for interaction behaviors Behavior4 TEXT No No Active Codes for interaction behaviors Notes TEXT No No Active Notes Author 2015-11-16 Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Data Steward 2025-11-11 Person Barbieri, Michelle M michelle.barbieri@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5734 Data Steward 2015-11-16 Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Distributor 2019-05-28 Organization Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center PIFSC pifsc.info@noaa.gov https://ror.org/02apffz65 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5360 https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage Online Resource 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Distributor 2015-11-16 Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Metadata Contact 2025-11-11 Person Barbieri, Michelle M michelle.barbieri@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5734 Metadata Contact 2015-11-16 Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Point of Contact 2025-11-11 Person Barbieri, Michelle M michelle.barbieri@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5734 Point of Contact 2015-11-16 Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Ground Condition -180 -150 30 10 Hawaiian Archipelago, Pacific Region Range 2015-06-01 2015-09-01 Unclassified Contact POC with data requests. none Data use for analysis or publication is expected to be conducted in collaboration with and proper attribution to NOAA scientists responsible for data collection. https://oceanwatch.pifsc.noaa.gov/xfer/PIFSC_PIRO_bulk_data_download_InPort_28586.tgz 2019-05-28 Organization Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center https://ror.org/02apffz65 2015_BehaviorStudy.csv This accession is a table containing visual observations of Hawaiian monk seal behavioral interactions and contact rates collected on Oahu and Laysan Island from 2015-06-01 to 2015-09-01. Animal identities, associations, and behaviors were collected and analyzed in order to 1) describe the haul-out patterns and numbers of seals using haul-out beaches on Oahu in the MHI and Laysan in the NWHI, and 2) document individual seal behavior and interactions between seals, especially with regard to different types of potentially infectious contacts with attention to age/sex patterns that may help identify generalities of high-risk seals. These data are used to support NMFS monk seal recovery efforts which include modeling epidemiological processes and planning vaccination and other disease risk mitigation strategies. csv (comma-separated values) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) Data were collected opportunistically at Hawaiian monk seal haulout locations on the island of Oahu and do not equally represent all size/sex classes, and may not be representative of other atolls/islands. Data were collected opportunistically at Hawaiian monk seal haulout locations on the island of Oahu and do not equally represent all size/sex classes, and may not be representative of other atolls/islands. Data should be reviewed before further analysis Observations were made by 2 to 3 field personnel per study site, so that observations could be verified for coding consistency - behaviors were recorded using standardized codes to minimize subjective interpretation by observers. Data were entered and double checked upon entry. Yes Unknown Yes No 1 year NCEI-MD 1 year Original files will be regularly backed up and stored on a secure server separate from publicly accessible files. Ethographic data sheets were used to collect behavioral observations in the field. Data were then entered into spreadsheets saved as CSV files for downstream analysis. Original field data Organization Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Originator 1 Ethographic data sheets were used to collect behavioral observations in the field. Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Original field data 2 Data were then entered into spreadsheets saved as CSV files for downstream analysis. Person Robinson, Stacie stacie.robinson@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0539-0306 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96839 USA (808)725-5740 Original field data 51661 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:28586 Thea Johanos 2015-11-06T22:09:32 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:26 2015-12-08 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center PIFSC 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5300 https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 1001 Public No No 2015-12-08 1 Year 2016-12-08