2019 Was The Biggest Year Yet for HMAR
Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) is the largest Hawaii-based nonprofit marine species conservation and response organization. Now in our 5th year, we work on the islands of Oahu and Molokai with our team of dedicated volunteers, interns and staff that are supported by private donations, corporate funding and government grants.
We focus our efforts on protected marine species in Hawaii that are most likely to be impacted by human-related threats due to their natural behaviors and habitat and the ocean ecosystem these animals call home. These species include the rare and endangered Hawaiian monk seal, threatened green and endangered hawksbill sea turtles and several marine seabird species. Our government partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the State of Hawaii.
We work to achieve our mission through activity every day of the year that impacts our three key objectives: (1) growing active and engaged community support, (2) managing and increasing the populations of protected marine species, and (3) saving animals that need help. At HMAR we believe it’s important to measure our progress on these three objectives by tracking our “Key Operations Indicators” so we can be confident that our programs are having the largest impact possible.
Thousands of times each year, our field response, outreach, education, escalations, rescue and stranding support activities help us move towards our vision of Hawaii’s ocean ecosystem shared in sustainable harmony by humans and protected marine animals such as Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles and seabirds.
Here are our Key Operations Indicators for 2019.
- In 2019, we received over 4,150 calls into our hotlines. These calls were to report sightings of protected marine animals, many of which were animals in need of support. This represents a 70% increase in monthly hotline activity since 2016 and shows that our work to raise awareness of protected marine animal issues is having a positive effect. People care more so they call more. To date, we have taken over 12,500 calls on our hotlines.
- HMAR team members were engaged in field related activities more than 5,000 times in 2019. This is a 127% increase in monthly field activity since 2016 and shows we’re out there in the field assessing the condition of animals, collecting valuable data and observations for research, monitoring vulnerable animals, looking for animals of concern, finding animals that may have a health problem, and conducting outreach. Since our start, we have conducted over 12,300 field related actions.
- 2019 was a year in which we performed 310 Hawaiian monk seal, sea turtle and seabird escalations, interventions and rescues. This is a 396% increase in monthly activity since 2016 and shows our work is helping to save animals in need. To date, we have engaged in more than 750 animal escalations, interventions, rescues and stranding responses.
- Our volunteers and staff worked over 27,700 hours in 2019. This is a 124% increase in monthly hours since 2016. We’re accomplishing more because we are working harder than ever.
- In 2019, our team members engaged in outreach or education activity with members of the public over 108,500 times. This is a 390% increase in monthly outreach and education activity since 2016. We’re creating active supporters of our protected marine animals and the ocean ecosystem, and the people we meet are taking actions to help. Since 2016, we have reached over 260,000 people with face-to-face outreach and education.