Monachus monachus
The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world and one of only a few pinniped species to reside in tropical and subtropical waters. Currently, only 600 to 700 individuals remain. Major threats to the Mediterranean monk seal include displacement and habitat deterioration, deliberate killing by humans, and fisheries bycatch and entanglement.
The Mediterranean monk seal is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Northwest Africa. Under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries must list threatened and endangered marine species regardless of where they are found. The Mediterranean monk seal is listed as endangered under the ESA and depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Mammalia | Order | Carnivora | Family | Phocidae | Genus | Monachus | Species | monachus |
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