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Monk Seal Pup Debuts in Waikīkī on Lei Day

Endangered Hawaiian monk seal RK96 (Kaiwi) gave birth to her sixth pup on popular Kaimana Beach in Waikīkī, Oʻahu! The birth was reported on May 1, 2024.
May 02, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
A rainbow-shaped wave of water ebbs away into an arc around a Hawaiian monk seal mom laying on a sandy beach as her newborn pup lays next to her resting its head on its mom. Hawaiian monk seal RK96 (Kaiwi) and her newborn pup at Kaimana Beach, Waikīkī. Credit: NOAA Fisheries (Permit #24359)

NOAA Fisheries Releases 2023 Status of Stocks

This report provides a "snapshot in time" of the status of our nation's fisheries at the end of 2023.
May 02, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Young fish swimming. Juvenile coho salmon. Credit: iStock

2020 and 2021 Combined Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States

This report details marine mammal stranding rates, trends, and activities in the United States for both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 5,400 confirmed marine mammal strandings; in 2021, there were 5,524.
April 03, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Two stranding responders carry a stranded harbor porpoise away from some rocks A harbor porpoise is retrieved from the rocks at Odiorne Point State Park, New Hampshire. Credit: Seacoast Science Center

Meet Makana—One of the First Hawaiian Monk Seal Pups of 2024

Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response partnered with Kahuku Elementary School to name the first Hawaiian monk seal pup of Oʻahu in 2024.
March 15, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
A mother Hawaiian monk seal and her pup lay side by side on a sandy beach. Hawaiian monk seal RK80 (Keolakai) gave birth to her first pup, Makana, in February 2024 on Oʻahu. Credit Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)

Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Season

The Hawaiian monk seal pupping season has started! NOAA Fisheries experts in the Pacific Islands work with partners to protect the pups during this critical time.
March 14, 2024 - Podcast ,
Pacific Islands
A Hawaiian monk seal pup lays in the sand A young, female Hawaiian monk seal pup, identified as "PM6," lying in the sand at Kalaupapa, Molokai in 2017. This is the fourth pup of mom "RI25." Credit: NOAA/Tracy Mercer (Permit #16632-02).

Seal and Sea Lion Week

Join us for a week-long celebration of seals and other pinnipeds and get the scoop on NOAA's seal conservation efforts.
March 11, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
An animation showing several species of seals in their native habitats with the words "Seal & Sea Lion Week" across the top. Seal & Sea Lion Week is March 11-15, 2024.

Deaths of Young Dolphin, Humpback Calf Highlight the Importance of Responsible Boating

In February 2024, NOAA Fisheries and partners responded to a dead spinner dolphin yearling and a dead humpback whale calf in Hawaiʻi. Examinations revealed their deaths were likely due to vessel strikes.
March 07, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
A mother humpback whale swims beneath its calf to support it on the ocean surface as a researcher on a nearby boat leans over the railing holding a pole underwater to assess the condition of the call. NOAA researchers with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary assess an injured humpback whale calf off of Maui. The calf had suspected vessel strike injuries to its tail. Credit: Pacific Whale Foundation (NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)

Another Year Of Protecting A Precious Population

Hawaiian monk seal monitoring and recovery work in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was marked by partnerships, pups, and promise in 2023.
February 20, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
Adult monk seal lying on the sand, eyes open, facing the camera, with a darker-colored pup on its left side, resting on a sandy beach with the ocean visible in the background. The pup’s right foreflipper is extended, touching the mother seal. Monk seal mother and pup on Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll). Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Sarah Glover (Permit #22677, PMNM-2023-001)

Decades of Insights: Monk Seal Researchers Share Unique Perspectives

Brenda Becker and Thea Johanos have studied endangered Hawaiian monk seals since the start of NOAA’s field work in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Forty years later, they are as dedicated as ever to the species’ recovery.
January 29, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
Brenda Becker sits in the sand on a beach with four seals spaced a distance apart along the water’s edge. Her back is toward the camera, and she is leaning back, appearing to observe the seals through binoculars. Brenda Becker maintains a low profile while photographing monk seals so as not to disturb them. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Megan Ely (Permit #22677, PMNM-2023-001)

NOAA Announces Confirmed Large Whale Entanglement Numbers in 2022

There were 67 large whale entanglement cases in 2022—a slight decrease from 2021, and slightly below the historical average.
January 22, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Large whale entanglement responders attemot to free an entangled minke whale. One responder is in the bow of the boat and holding the control line while another use a dive mask to better visualize the entanglement configuration. Responders from the Center for Coastal Studies work to free an entangled minke whale on June 29, 2022. The animal was anchored in place after the whale had bitten down on a 20-pot trawl line. The team was able to cut the buoy line near the whale’s mouth, and the fisherman was able to recover the gear. Credit: Center for Coastal Studies; NOAA Permit No. 18786