2022 Year In Review

HMAR 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

Hard to believe it’s 2023! 2022 was a busy year for us at HMAR with lots of surprises, challenges and successes! Read on to learn more about our 2022 highlights!

Number of Contacts Made to HMAR Hotlines in 2022 – 9,630 (about 26 each day)

Our hotline operations are one of the most integral parts of the work we do. In 2022, we handled 9,630 contacts (phone calls and texts) that came into our hotlines. Contacts come in from a variety of sources - private citizens, law enforcement agencies, partner conservation organizations, and government departments. Very often, multiple contacts between an observer and a hotline operator are needed to assemble a complete picture of a particular animal situation so keeping track of all of this incoming information is challenging. About 69% of these contacts in 2022 were related to monk seals, 17% were related to sea turtles, 7% were related to seabirds, and about 7% were regarding other things such as marine debris, or protected marine species questions. Without our hotline and dispatch team we wouldn’t know about seals on beaches, turtles in distress or downed seabirds. Although it’s not one of our more visible activities, the team members that work on our Operations Support team enable us to do all of our other work. We wouldn’t be HMAR without the hard work of our hotline operators!

Since our start in 2016, this team has responded to over 55,000 calls and texts to our hotlines involving marine protected animals that may need support. That is incredible work team, keep up the great work!

Number of Field Support Actions in 2022 – 3,205

During 2022, in-field support activity was conducted by HMAR volunteers and staff all over Oʻahu and Molokai 3,205 times. That was broken out as 573 times on the north side of Oʻahu, 919 times in east Oʻahu, 798 times in southeast Oʻahu, 860 times on Oʻahu’s west side, and 55 times on Molokai.

This work is performed by members of our Field Support & Outreach (FSO) team and they are the bread and butter of our organization. Going to beaches with Hawaiian monk seals, identifying and documenting the locations of specific animals, updating photo documentation files on animals, finding possible animal health concerns, and providing public outreach are things we do all over these islands, many times every day. And during Hawaiian monk seal pup season - typically from March to September - our team gets extra busy. And this year was no exception!

We had a total of 9 pups born on Oʻahu or our offshore islets in 2022, unfortunately 3 of those pups did not make it past their first day (born stillborn or died soon after birth) but HMAR was able to recover and transport these animals to NOAA so that post-mortem analyses could be done to determine cause of death, which is vitally important for such an endangered species. But this still left us with 6 live pups to monitor and support during the year - half of which we weren’t expecting!

Our first surprise of the 2022 pup season was when RH92 gave birth to her first pup ever, RQ64 “Laki” (meaning lucky). (see picture left) This mother seal, RH92, was born on Kauaʻi, so we had anticipated her to give birth there instead of on Oʻahu, especially since she gave birth on a beach on Oʻahu we don’t have any record of her visiting previously! Then, one day later came RQ24, “Makaʻuʻole” (meaning fearless), born on the North Shore to mom, RN58, “Luana.” (see picture right)

Soon enough, RQ76 "Malama" (light, moon, or month) and PO7 (no permanent ID) "Mahina" (moon) were then both born one day apart on an Oʻahu offshore islet!

RQ58, “Koalani” (meaning heavenly warrior) was our second surprise of pup season! (see picture left) When RH58 “Rocky” showed up on Kaimana beach in Waikīkī and gave birth for the second time on Oʻahu our team immediately sprang into action. Over the next 6 weeks we spent 14 hours each day on Kaimana Beach, watching to make sure little Koalani stayed healthy and safe with mom. Kaimana Beach pups are always incredibly challenging due to the high volume of beach goers, but they are also one of our most rewarding outreach opportunities!

And last but not least, RQ72 “Lehiwa” (which means admirable and attractive) was our third surprise of pup season! R016 “Right Spot” typically gives birth on Molokai, but instead, she decided to give birth at one of her favorite spots on Oʻahu! (see picture right)

If you’re missing those cute little faces, don’t worry! Pup season will be back before we know it!

Besides pup season and daily field response and outreach work, the FSO team also worked on a few other major events and projects in 2022. From April to October last year we systematically surveyed 4 offshore islands around Oʻahu for sea turtle nests in a project coordinated with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Coastal Program. This is the first time this research has been conducted and the project consisted of our interns and staff going out on our “Rescue 3” kayaks or our “Rescue 1” RIB boat 51 times (see pictures left) to look for sea turtle tracks and nests. This is important to determine if, and how, sea turtles may be using these offshore islets as nesting habitat since green sea turtle nesting on Oʻahu has been on the increase. In total, we spent 104 hours on the water in 2022 surveying for nests on these remote islets. We will be continuing the project again in 2023 and we’re excited to develop this program!

The FSO team also continued its work in 2022 to maintain and support important seabird nesting habitat, perform public field outreach at seabird colonies, and conducting seabird population surveys in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Through this work we were able to report that at one HMAR-managed colony, we saw a 150% year-over-year increase in wedge tailed shearwaters that were nesting at the location! (see picture right)

Since our start in 2016, HMAR has deployed volunteers and staff into the field in support of marine protected species over 24,000 times. Outstanding job FSO team!

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions Conducted in 2022 – 435

In 2022, this number included 41 operations for marine mammals, 185 operations for sea turtles, and 209 operations for seabirds. This brings our total rescues, interventions, stranding responses, and escalated field actions since our start in 2016 to about 2,100 operations.

Every year has a number of notable rescues, interventions, stranding responses, and escalated field actions, and 2022 was no exception. Here are some highlights of rescues and interventions that stood out in 2022.

We started the year off in the first few days of January 2022 when a call came in for a stranded 18 foot sperm whale in ʻĀina Haina. Our team responded and along with partners from UH and NOAA we found that the whale was in fact deceased, but it was not a sperm whale. Instead, it was a humpback whale calf. After planning and preparations were made, the team was able to carefully and safely remove the calf from the shallow waters to transport it for a post-mortem cause of death analysis. It was later found that the calf had been hit by a vessel of some type and had passed away from its injuries. This incident was an important reminder that assigning a spotter at the front of any vessel and moderating your speed in channels are important ways to help maintain the safety of our marine wildlife.

Also in January, we rescued a female green sea turtle (honu) at Laniakea with a large wound on the top of her shell (carapace) from a boat strike. (see picture left) She had an 8” long, 4” wide hole in her carapace. But she was still incredibly active and broke our transport carrier trying to escape! She was then moved to a partner facility on Maui for further care. Since then, “Aloha” as she is called, has continued to improve and we are hopeful for a full recovery and release soon.

In June we said goodbye to one of Oʻahu's most famous seals - RE74 “Benny” (see picture right). At 20 years old, Benny was found deceased on the North Shore where HMAR responded for the recovery. Benny was a staple of the Oʻahu Hawaiian monk seal community and was well known by our staff, volunteers and the public for his ability to stir up a little bit of trouble every once in a while! Benny will surely be missed, but his passing is a reminder to us all that we must continue the important work that we, our partners, and our engaged public do everyday to support the survival, preservation, and recovery of this iconic and beloved species.

July was a busy month for seal escalations! At the beginning of the month we got reports that RQ64 “Laki,” a young recently-weaned pup was entangled around her neck with rope (see picture left). Our team, along with our partners at NOAA, immediately made a game plan to survey for Laki until she was found to attempt a disentanglement. After days of search activity, we were lucky enough to find her near the original sighting location. NOAA and HMAR staff immediately set their plan in motion and arrived on site to remove the entanglement. Thankfully, the capture and removal of the rope from around Laki’s neck was successful! Since then we’ve seen her several times and she is behaving like a normal young seal.

Then, on the afternoon of July 4th, we responded to RK28 “KC” who had hauled out onto the side of the road at a bus stop near Kualoa Ranch (see picture right). With help from HPD who restricted traffic, the HMAR team was able to safely get KC off the side of the road and back into the water. A few weeks later KC returned to Kauaʻi to give birth to her pup!

In September we also had a memorable sea turtle rescue when an adult female green sea turtle was reported wedged in the rocks and unable to free herself on the North Shore. In difficult conditions, which included waves washing over the rocks, and rising seas that could drown the sea turtle (see picture left), our HMAR team was able to carefully extract this beauty without injury, assess her condition, and release her back to her ocean home. Thanks go out to two members of the public who were nearby and willing to assist in this rescue.

And of course, during the last quarter of 2022 we had seabird fallout season! This is a period of time when our young wedge tailed shearwaters (ʻuaʻu kani) leave their burrows. They nest underground (see picture right) so they are very vulnerable to invasive predators (i.e. cats and mongoose), sea level rise, and off-trail hikers. This time of year, the young fledglings leave their burrows to take to the skies at night for the first time and sometimes become distracted by artificial light. This confuses these young birds and instead of flying out to sea guided by moonlight, they instead fly towards artificial sources of light on land, ultimately become exhausted, and are forced to the ground (“fall out”). In 2022 we rescued 209 seabirds, many of which were during fallout season, a time of year that keeps us running around the island rescuing as many as 10 birds in a single day!

Then, on the last day of the year, we were called to rescue a Laysan albatross (mōlī) on the North shore that had an injury to one of its legs and was having great difficulty walking (see picture left). Seabirds the size of an albatross can be quite challenging but two HMAR team members were able to safely and carefully collect the animal and bring it in for a veterinary evaluation provided by our partners at Feather & Fur Animal Hospital.

Of course, there were hundreds of other responses in 2022 that we can’t list here. From supporting interventions for monk seals, to sea turtles needing help, and rescuing injured seabirds, we respond to conduct rescues, interventions, stranding responses, and escalated field actions almost every day. These operations require specialized training that our staff, interns and rescue volunteers go through to ensure the safety and health of the animals we are supporting as well as the safety of our team. Please remember that handling a marine protected animal in distress, without proper training, experience, or having the necessary and required government permits, is dangerous for you and can cause further animal injuries or complications. Instead, please call the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840 so that we can respond.

Marine Debris Removal - 2022 Successes!

Our Marine Debris Program (MDP) team worked incredibly hard underwater in 2022 removing fishing debris that can injure and kill our iconic marine protected species! (see picture right) Here are some of the most exciting numbers and successes from 2022.

Number of HMAR-lead marine debris removal dives conducted: 52
Number of HMAR Beat Debris project citizen science dives conducted: 125
Feet of monofilament line removed: 52,656 (thatʻs 10 MILES!)
Number of hooks removed: 1,520
Number of animal hazards removed: 1,491
Acres of underwater habitat cleaned: 78

Since starting our Marine Debris Program in 2019, HMAR team members have now conducted 162 underwater dive operations while our citizen science Beat Debris project participants have conducted an additional 337 underwater dives. Collectively, we’ve removed about 198,000 feet (thatʻs about 38 MILES!) of monofilament line and 4,600 hooks, and cleared out over 4,100 underwater animal hazards before these items can kill or injure our wildlife. This has resulted in the cleaning of 263 acres of underwater habitat. Great job HMAR team divers! Great job Beat Debris citizen science divers! Keep up the great work team!

In other HMAR MDP activity, in 2022 we got approval to install an additional 6 new fishing debris bins around Oʻahu! One along the Kaiwi shoreline, two at Sand Island and three at Kaʻena Point State Park! This brings our total of bins deployed to 15 and we have many more planned. If youʻve never seen these bins before, let us explain! Around the island at popular fishing spots we have set up these bins (see picture left) for fishers to deposit their discarded line and hooks. Because of these bins, hooks, line, and weights donʻt end up left on the pier or shoreline to find its way back into the ocean where it can injure or kill wildlife. Plus, we take the line and it is recycled to turn it into baby fish habitat. These bins prevent hooking or entanglement hazards from entering the nearshore ocean environment in the first place. Good job fishers! Keep up the good work of stuffing these bins with fishing line, hooks, and weights.

We're proud of the work our MDP team and our engaged citizen science divers do and we look forward to more great results in 2023!

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach and Education in 2022 - 39,705

2022 was a record breaking year for our Education & Engagement (EE) department. With COVID cases finally on a steady decline we were able to go to classes and public outreach events in person for the first time in two years. Compared to 2021 we more than doubled our number of events and people reached in 2022! In total we did 133 presentations and reached 8,665 people in 2022 - educating about Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, marine debris and more. In 2022 we also stepped up our efforts to provide education in underserved and underrepresented communities around the island and 63% of the presentations we provided were in underserved areas! Meanwhile, during 2022 while our EE team was doing their great work in schools, community events and other presentations, our busy FSO team in the field also continued their excellent job of performing public outreach while conducting marine protected species support activity, reaching an additional 30,000+ people.

Reaching residents and visitors through outreach and education is a key part of what we do and since our start in 2016, we’ve now reached over 305,000 people! This work is vital so that we can inform, build support, and affect change for marine protected animals and the ocean.

Additional News & Updates

Before we sign off for 2022, our staff members want to acknowledge some really important key people or groups that help HMAR do what we do. We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you, and here are some special shout outs!

Emily Greene (Education & Engagement Manager) - I’m so grateful for all of our interns who support our work each and every day. Managing our internship program this year has taught me a lot and I’m so thankful that I get to watch our students grow and learn as they move through their internships. They put in so many long hours and really do go above and beyond - we couldn’t do what we do without them!

McKinley Walter (Oʻahu Field Support Manager) and Evelyn Macias (Oʻahu Field Support Technician) - Thank you to our volunteers. These dedicated people put in thousands of hours each year to support our mission here at HMAR. We would not be able to do the work that we do without all of their hard work, dedication and passion. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers from the HMAR staff!

Michael Tillman (Operations Support Manager) - Thank you to the federal, state, and county agencies we partner with, as well as the many commercial businesses and land owners that have helped our efforts in conservation for Hawaiʻi's marine protected species during 2022!

Anabel Cepero (Marine Programs Technician) - I want to thank Kekai Mar from the Hawaii DLNR Division of State Parks, for his support this past year. With Kekai’s assistance, weʻre installing six additional fishing debris bins across the island. The installation of these much-needed bins creates a collection point for any leftover fishing gear and line, which could end up in the ocean and become a potential hazard to marine life. He went above and beyond to help us through the permit process and invited our team to community events that allowed us to share more about HMAR, our programs, and to get people involved.

Todd Yamashita (Molokai Community Programs Manager) - The Molokai community is a lot like a family... We look out for each other and help care for the things we love. Big mahalo island-wide to everyone helping to look after our Molokai monk seals!

Jon Gelman (Founder & President of HMAR) - I am thankful for our individual private contributors, people like you, who donate hard-earned dollars to help us. Grants and corporate sponsors are incredibly important to back our activity but these funders only cover a portion of our costs. Therefore, private individuals who make the sacrifice to donate make a huge difference for us! We are so appreciative of your generosity and in awe that you go out of your way to support us from near and far.

As always, we can’t do the work we do without all of you! We rely heavily on donations to pay for gas, supplies, insurance, rent, truck maintenance, and all the other things we need to do our work. Marine animal response, rescue, and education is very rewarding but not inexpensive. If you want to support us, please donate or consider volunteering HERE, and every dollar helps. Mahalo for your support during 2022. Check back with us for monthly updates during 2023!

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

November 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: November 2022

Birds, birds and more birds! Here’s what HMAR was up to in November across the spectrum of our work.

Number of Calls to HMAR – 596 (about 20 per day)

Our hotline operators were busy in November with 596 calls, that’s almost double from the prior month! 301 calls were for Hawaiian monk seals, 62 calls were for sea turtles, and 233 calls were for seabirds.

Number of Field Support Actions – 161 (about 4 each day)

Field support activity was conducted by HMAR volunteers and staff all over O'ahu: 5 times in the north, 23 in the east, 20 in the southeast, and 113 times on the west side.

We spent a lot of time in Ko Olina last month! Some days we had up to four seals at the same spot at the same time. Although monk seals are typically solitary, sometimes we do have specific beaches that attract multiple seals at a time. Granted, because these seals are generally solitary, frequently there can be interactions (see picture left) between seals that are on beaches together, which we saw many times in November.

Our Rescue & Stranding Response team participated in our annual seabird banding project conducted in partnership with the University of Hawai'i at a large shearwater colony that HMAR manages on the north shore. The goal is to band wedgetail shearwaters (ʻuaʻu kani) before they leave their burrows for the first time. This project helps monitor the population and activity of these wonderful seabirds.

November also saw the start of our annual Laysan albatross (mōlī) monitoring efforts up at the colony we support in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the North Shore Community Land Trust, and the Turtle Bay Resort. So far we have identified and mapped 11 nests! Our volunteers and staff were super excited to get up there and get started looking for birds, they’ve seen a lot of returning pairs (see picture right) as well as some new birds to the colony. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds!

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions – 144 (more than 4 each day)

This critical part of our work was divided into all areas of O'ahu: 10 cases in the north, 34 in the east, 69 in the southeast, and 31 cases on the west side.

The back end of November marked the beginning of seabird fallout season - when young wedgetailed shearwaters leave their burrows for the first time after fledging (going from their downy chick feathers to their waterproof adult ones) and are meant to follow the light of the moon to find their way out to sea. Unfortunately artificial light like house and street lights can confuse these birds and turn them inland, eventually they become too tired to continue flying and land wherever they can to rest. However, a lot of the time they don’t land in the safest spots, so our team goes out to rescue these birds (see picture left) and get them veterinary support from our friends at Feather and Fur Animal Hospital in Kailua for treatment and eventual release. In just the last two weeks of November, we intervened to help 133 seabirds.

Of the total 144 escalated field actions in November, 10 were for sea turtles. At the beginning of the month we responded to two hawksbill sea turtle ('ea) hatchlings (see picture right) that washed up on the east side of O'ahu. These turtles, however, were not from O'ahu and they likely hatched on other islands to the east and southeast of O'ahu and got stuck in ocean currents and strong winds that brought them here to us! These young turtles hatch with limited energy stores to make the long journey out to the deep ocean, so when they show up on O'ahu we have to act fast. With “washbacks” as we call them, we usually transport them to the leeward shore, where we release them offshore into the ocean away from waves and where winds blowing out to sea give them a better chance of survival by pushing them in the right direction. Good luck little ones!

Last month we also conducted a rescue in Hale'iwa for a green sea turtle (honu) with fishing line tightly wrapped around its right fore flipper and we were concerned about the condition of the tissue (see picture left). We transported the turtle for veterinary evaluation and it was determined that the flipper had become necrotic and needed to be amputated. The sea turtle was sent to a partner facility on Maui for the procedure and the turtle also passed 1,425 centimeters of braided fishing line! (See picture right) This sea turtle’s condition continues to improve so we’re hoping for a full recovery and that we’ll see this turtle back on O'ahu soon.

We also conducted an escalated field action for a monk seal last month. Following up on a report of a live monk seal pup being seen on Moku Nui island off of Lanikai, HMAR’s Rescue 1 vessel (see picture right) was dispatched to conduct surveys from offshore while HMAR personnel searched the island on foot to look for a pup. None was found.

Remember, we rely on the public to notify us regarding marine protected animal activity. Please report ALL monk seals seen, as well as any sea turtles, seabirds, dolphins, or whales of concern to the statewide NOAA marine wildlife hotline at (888) 256-9840. On O'ahu and Molokai, HMAR will take your call.

Marine Debris - More Great Results for November!

This month our marine debris team completed 5 dives. Over the course of the month they collected 877 feet of monofilament, 125 animal hazards and cleaned over 10 acres of underwater habitat! (see picture left) Our BEAT DEBRIS citizen-science competition is also still going strong through the end of December. In November, our citizen-science divers removed an additional 375 feet of line, 29 hooks and 63 fishing weights! Good job all!

If you’ve never heard of our BEAT DEBRIS citizen-science project, here’s some info. If you are ever diving and collect derelict fishing gear, you can report it HERE to be entered to win a prize. Our current contest is going through the end of December and the winner will receive a $100 gift card from Aaron’s Dive shop in Kailua!

In November, HMAR also hosted another clean up at Kakaako Beach Park with Aaron’s Dive Shop and had a great time working with our partners and the community to clean up the area. Keep an eye on our social media for future cleanups.

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach - 1,564

In November, we continued our focus on education in underrepresented and underserved communities. We finished our series of classes at Kahuku Elementary School and Waianae Intermediate School (see picture right). This semester we have gone to these schools multiple times to work with the same students and teachers on different topics in the marine conservation world. We are also in the process of finishing up this education series with Hau‘ula Elementary School.

We also reached hundreds of other people on the shoreline as we conducted our regular ongoing field response and monitoring of Hawaiian monk seals on beaches.

In addition, we were honored in November to have been chosen by the East-West Center YSEALI Program to partner with them in providing important conservation education and certifying them as a Hawai'i Marine Steward. They can now carry and pass on critically important conservation information regarding Hawai'i’s marine protected species and our ocean ecosystem. (See picture left). The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is the United States government's signature leadership development program for Southeast Asian youth from ASEAN member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Timor-Leste.

Additional News & Updates

We are continuing to recruit for our spring semester internships. If you or someone you know is interested in marine conservation, head over HERE and check it out! We offer internships in field work, marine debris, education, media, and sea turtle nest monitoring.

As always, we can’t do the work we do without all of you! We rely heavily on public donations to pay for gas, supplies, staff, and all the other things we need to do our work. Marine animal response, rescue, and education is important work and is very rewarding but not inexpensive. If you want to support us, you can donate HERE, and every dollar helps.

As we enter December 2022, every one of us at HMAR wants to wish all of you a healthy and joyful holiday season.

Mahalo for your support in 2022!

______________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

Number of Calls - What does this mean? These are calls our hotline operators answer about any species in any situation. Whether it is a monk seal on the beach, a sea turtle of concern in the water, or a seabird that needs help. HMAR answers the calls that are made to the NOAA’s marine wildlife number for Oahu and Molokai and we take calls from the public, from the police, fire department, Ocean Safety as well as State of Hawaii agencies. Any call that comes into our hotline is reported here. Some calls result in a field response but many are valuable for animal sightings information or other data that can assist in research. Since our start in 2016, we’ve taken nearly 50,000 calls.

Number of Field Support Actions - What does this mean? This is when HMAR sends volunteer or staff resources into the field to perform a variety of actions in support of marine protected animals including Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, sea birds, dolphins, and whales. Since our start in 2016, we have had volunteers or staff in the field over 22,500 times.

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions - What does this mean? This number includes any field response that goes above and beyond a typical resting monk seal response. This includes responding to a seal of concern, an entangled, hooked, or injured sea turtle, a seabird in need of medical support, and other situations. Since 2016, we have performed over 1,850 of these actions.

Marine Debris Work - Each week our marine debris team removes underwater entanglement hazards (net, line, hooks) from high fishing pressure areas to reduce animal entanglements, hookings, injuries and death of protected marine animals. Since we started our underwater removal activities, our Marine Debris Program (MDP) has removed more than 3,600 animal hazards, cleaned over 230 acres of underwater habitat, and we have collected many miles of monofilament fishing line. Taking all of this debris out of underwater habitat helps save Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Number of People Reached through Face to Face Outreach - What does this mean? HMAR’s different program activities put our volunteers and staff in direct contact with Hawaii’s residents and visitors. Educating people about Hawaii’s marine protected species and our ocean ecosystem is one of our highest priorities and has an important impact on reducing threats. This number includes outreach done on the beaches as well as the work our Education and Engagement team does going to classes and community outreach events. Since our start we’ve reached nearly 300,000 people.

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

October 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: October 2022

Check out what HMAR has been up to in October and a sneak peek of what's to come over the next month!

Number of Calls to HMAR – 357 (about 12 per day)

Our hotline operators were busy this month, taking 357 calls! Of these, 268 were related to Hawaiian monk seals, 71 calls were for sea turtles, and there were 18 calls related to seabirds.

Number of Field Support Actions Conducted by HMAR Personnel – 131 Total (about 4 each day) - divided by area of O'ahu as follows: 3 North, 45 East, 46 Southeast, and 37 on the West side of O'ahu

This month marked the official end of the 2022 pup season for us when our last pup of the year, RQ72 "Lehiwa," left her birth location (see picture left) for the first time to explore other parts of the island. This pup season has been long but incredibly rewarding, with six surviving pups from April to September! And in just a few short months we will be back in the swing of the 2023 pup season!

October has been marked by a ton of seal haul-outs! RH58 “Rocky” went through her annual molt (see picture right) after weaning her pup RQ58 "Koalani"in August and spent a lot of her time on the beaches of Waikiki. We also spent a lot of time with RL12 “Aukai” who has been regularly hanging out on the west side of the island!

We are continuing to opportunistically monitor R016 “Right Spot” and hope to have another update on her soon!

Now that it's October we are beginning preparations for seabird fallout season to really kick-in in November! If you haven’t heard of fallout before, it is when young seabird chicks of certain species go from their fluffy down coats to the adult feathers, a process called fledging, and leave the nest for the first time. When they first leave to fly out to sea and forage, they instinctually follow the light of the moon. However, sometimes artificial human-caused light sources can distract and disorient these young birds and they fly inland instead. After some time they become too tired to continue flying and “fall out” of the sky, landing wherever they can to rest. But, where they land isn’t always the best spot for them, including in the road, on people’s lawns and everywhere in between. If over the next few months you see a young seabird that appears to have fallen out, please call the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840, we will come out, assess and carefully transport the bird for care if needed. To help ensure there are less artificial light sources to distract these young birds we also ask that you turn off outside lights and close your curtains at night from November to early January!

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions – 24 Total (that's almost one each day) - 3 in the North, 13 on the East side, 3 in the Southeast, 5 on the West side

This month, being the beginning of the fledging season, meant that we had a number of bird rescues, everything from wedge-tailed shearwaters to petrels and boobies (see picture left)! One of our most memorable rescues this month was of a red-footed booby in Waialua. We received a call that a woman had found a booby on the beach, unable to fly. She kept the bird in her care until responders were able to arrive, carefully assess the animal, and safely transport the bird to Feather & Fur Animal Hospital for care. This bird has since been sent to a rehab facility for further care and we hope for a full recovery soon!

October was a fairly slow month for sea turtle rescues (a good thing), but we did have a very interesting encounter on a Waikiki beach at the end of the month! A sea turtle was reported to us with about 6 inches of line extending from its mouth (see picture right). We were able to immediately mobilize two members of our team to respond to the animal. Once on site they discovered that the sea turtle had ingested a whole lot more line than just a few inches, and with no hook in sight we were concerned that the turtle was potentially hooked in its esophagus or stomach. We immediately transported the turtle to NOAA for a more in-depth examination than we could provide on the beach. It was later found that this little fighter had thankfully not ingested a hook, but did pass about 50 inches of line! At this point, the turtle is doing well and we are hopeful for a full recovery. We’ll update you if we have any more news.

We had another sea turtle hatchling again this month (see picture left)! We got a report of a green sea turtle (honu) hatchling in Waimānalo - the little guy had decent energy levels but couldn’t make it out past the breakers since the surf was so high. We often get these hatchlings during times when there are strong currents and the turtles cannot make it out past them, or they are carried to shore from a distant hatching location by winds and currents. We typically take these hatchlings to the west or southeast side of the island for release offshore so that they do not need to fight through the current to make it out to pelagic waters where they will be for the next 5-7 years. This hatchling was successfully released off of Electric Beach. Good luck little one!

Marine Debris - More Great Results in October!

For those who may not be aware, here is a bit about HMAR’s unique Marine Debris Program (MDP) and our activity in October.

HMAR’s MDP is unique in several important ways. First, we are the only organized marine debris program in Hawai'i that has won support from NOAA, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College. This means we’ve developed and adhere to extensive diving safety protocols and procedures for free diving (see picture right) and SCUBA diving, and produce documented results. We are focused on removing specific types of debris that injure and kill protected marine species like sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and seabirds. That means we conduct in-water dives to collect hooks, fishing line, net material, and other hazards. We dive several times each month, often from shoreline access points, but also from our HMAR Rescue 1 boat (see picture left) that allows us the flexibility to launch from any boat ramp, to get to our dive location quickly, and this enables us to get to places that traditional dive boats don’t go. We dive on a scheduled basis, but because HMAR is a response and rescue organization, we also have the ability to quickly respond to reports of dangerous in-water debris and remove it before it can cause harm. An example of this is an in-water response we conducted in October to remove a dangerous mass of netting in Hanauma Bay where we frequently see sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals (see picture right below).

Here is a summary of our marine debris removal activity in October:

HMAR-lead debris removal dives conducted: 8
HMAR Beat Debris citizen science dives conducted: 8
Monofilament line removed: 3,461 ft
Net material removed: 1 floating net mass collected plus another submerged and derelict illegal throw net retrieved
Hooks removed: 1,289
Weights removed: 338
Animal hazards removed: 258
Number of underwater acres cleaned: 9.5

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach - 2,337

We had a number of Halloween events at the end of the month that were a big hit! We collaborated with Aaron’s Dive Shop and KidZArt Windward to host a Halloween themed beach cleanup. It was wonderful to see returning clean-up crew members as well as new community members who joined us. The last two weekends of October we were also at Sea Life Park talking with lots of people about Hawai'i’s marine protected species and how people can help them! Plus we got to dress up, play games, and do some trick or treating which was loads of fun!

Additional News & Updates

October was a month of training for both new and current volunteers!

Our rescue volunteers and interns participated in a bird handling training this month with Dr. David Hyrenbach from our partners at Hawai'i Pacific University. They learned about the inʻs and outʻs of safely handling seabirds as well as important data and information to collect when we respond to deceased birds. This training is really all about ensuring that our volunteers are comfortable and careful handling seabirds. After this training, we are all set and ready for fallout season to begin!

On October 15th we had our last new volunteer orientation of the year! We had 13 people attend and each of our 6 programs were represented! Training is always a lot of work for our staff, but we love welcoming new volunteers to our team and seeing them learn and grow! If you’re interested in volunteering, you can learn about volunteer opportunities HERE. Our next volunteer orientation will be in January!

As always, we can’t do the work we do without all of you! We rely heavily on public donations to pay for gas, supplies, staff, and all the other things we need to do our work. Marine animal response, rescue, and education is rewarding but not inexpensive. If you want to support us, you can donate HERE, and every dollar helps.

Mahalo for your support!

______________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

September 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2022

Check out what HMAR has been up to in September and a sneak peek of what's to come over the next month! We feel like every month rushes by, but it's seriously true, and September was no exception! Happy Fall, all, here's our September update!

Number of Calls to HMAR – 394 (about 13 per day)

Our hotline operators were busy this month, taking 394 calls! Of these, 292 were related to Hawaiian monk seals, 76 calls were for sea turtles, and there were 26 calls related to seabirds.

Number of Field Support Actions – 204 Total (about 7 times each day)

Our activity in the field in September was divided by areas of the island: North - 2, East - 100, Southeast - 13, West - 89).

First things first, PO9 “Lehiwa” (see picture left) now has an official permanent ID of RQ72! On September 12th, our responder arrived to monitor Lehiwa and her mom R016 “Right Spot” to find no mom in sight! A few days later, NOAA gave Lehiwa her permanent ID and tags! Since weaning, Lehiwa has been hanging out in her little tide pool where she was born and learning how to forage. As we have seen with other monk seal "weaners" (weaned pups), Lehiwa has been observed playing with and biting sea cucumbers. This can result in the sticky guts of the sea cucumber getting stuck to the animals' pelage (fur) and vibrissae (whiskers). Sometimes, without examining photographs closely, this organic material can look like monofilament fishing line or even a hook. There has also been some concern for Right Spot. To get more information on her, see our previous post on our Facebook and Instagram. At this point, HMAR and NOAA are actively monitoring her body condition and behaviors as frequently as possible.

We’re also continuing to monitor RQ58 “Koalani” since he was relocated from Waikiki to his new home (see picture right). He is still doing well and we are observing him frequently in his new area. We are so glad that he seems to be adjusting well to his new home!

Since April, our Marine Operations team has been working to survey many of the offshore islets for sea turtle nests in a project with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. We’ve completed surveys using our HMAR kayaks or on our Rescue 1 vessel each week. At the end of September, we officially finished our surveys for the year to learn how the offshore islets are being used by sea turtles for nesting. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any confirmed nests this year but did see some possible activity. We also got to see numerous Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and spinner dolphins. Science takes effort and we’re hopeful for next year!

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions – 31 Total (about 1 each day)

In September, this was broken out as Hawaiian monk seals - 0, sea turtles - 18, seabirds - 13, and cetaceans - 0. These activities were divided by areas of the island: North - 7, East - 18, Southeast - 6, West - 0).

September was the month of happy sea turtle rescues! We don’t always have happy endings. Sadly, often our turtle rescues result in finding a deceased sea turtle, or a sea turtle that is later euthanized because it is the most humane thing to do. But, this month, we had some happy endings we wanted to share!

On a very busy Friday with four turtle calls, our responder Evelyn (see picture right) headed to the North Shore to respond to a report of a sea turtle stuck in between two rocks (see picture left). This sometimes happens when turtles are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Due to wave action and difficult conditions, this was a challenging rescue for us as we had to be incredibly careful of how we were going to un-wedge the sea turtle without causing injury to the sea turtle or our responders. This rescue required 3 HMAR responders as well as several members of the public. It required Evelyn to get underneath the sea turtle with a towel in very tight quarters while other HMAR responders and the public helped from above. Using the waves' power, the team successfully removed the sea turtle from the rocks after a bit of adjustment. Then, after our health assessment of the animal, the sea turtle was deemed ready for release right there! It quickly swam away just as we had hoped (see video below)!

A few weeks later, McKinley and Emily responded to a sea turtle hauled out at Laniakea Beach with a hook and line in her neck. After an exam and check on the hook, our responders, along with our partners at NOAA, decided that removing the hook was too risky on the beach. Instead, we cut the line and released the sea turtle. Now, this might sound surprising, that the sea turtle was re-released with the hook still in its neck. Thankfully, sea turtles have thick skin and although the hook was embedded, this sea turtle is in good body condition (see picture right) and in a location where we can continue to monitor her with help from our friends at Malama i na Honu. For now, we want to give her the chance to live a healthy life at sea; the hook will likely rust out and not cause any further harm.

Marine Debris - More Great Results in September!

In September, our Marine Debris Program (MDP) conducted four dives (see picture left)! We collected 1,819 feet of monofilament lines and 81 animal hazards. And we cleaned a total of 7.3 acres! During September, many marine animals visited us while conducting our marine debris dives. From honu, squids, and eels to an inquisitive monk seal! The seal stopped by to observe our operations. Though he was quite curious, our group maintained a proper distance. Once satisfied with our work, he swam over to our dive float and inspected it for quite a while before departing! Visits from these animals like these remind us why it’s so important to remove derelict fishing gear and other hazards from the ocean. It gives these amazing creatures the space to roam about freely and safely.

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach - 2,337

With the school year in full swing, HMAR’s Education team headed up by Emily (see picture right) has started a new school program, a recurring educational series! We had our first session with Hau’ula Elementary, and we will continue to meet with their fourth graders each month for the rest of the school year, discussing a different topic each time. We will also complete this series with Waianae Intermediate, Kahuku Elementary, and other schools this year!

October will be full of Halloween events! We are partnering again with Aaron’s Dive Shop and KidZArt Kailua to host a community beach cleanup! The event will be on October 22nd from 8 am-11 am at Kailua Beach Park. Since it's so close to Halloween, we’ll also be dressing up in costumes, and there will be games!

Additional News & Updates

Two of our employees, Anabel and Emily (center in picture left), attended NOAA’s Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) this month. This means 5 of our 6 Oahu employees have now been certified! MOCC includes classroom and practical exercises such as docking, confined space maneuvering and obstacle avoidance. Anabel manages our Marine Operations Program and our Marine Debris Program while Emily is our Education & Engagement Program Manager. This course is a great experience for our staff; they have lots of fun, and it provides great training we can use on HMAR vessels as we support marine debris removal, surveys for animals of concern, rescues, and stranding responses!

HMAR has an upcoming volunteer orientation! October 15th is the next orientation and training date for new volunteers (see picture left)! If you have ever been interested in volunteering with us before, this is the best time to apply HERE! We will get back to you ASAP and get you into the October training date!

We have had several new and returning sponsors this month as well! Among them are Aaron’s Dive Shop, Nudi Wear, and Cora Ball! Keep an eye on our social media in the next few days to learn more about these amazing organizations and support their work!

Now that September is over, "fallout season" is coming up quickly! Some seabird chicks, like wedge-tailed shearwaters, will soon be leaving their burrows (see picture right) for the first time to head out to sea. Artificial lighting from buildings, houses and street lights can confuse the birds, who end up so disoriented and exhausted that they “fall out” of the sky leaving them vulnerable to predation, getting hit by vehicles, and other risks. Thankfully most of these birds are typically just fine after a bit of rest but our team is ready for a busy season of seabird rescues. So, how can you help? For the last three months of the year, turn off all outside lights and close your curtains at night. And if you see a downed bird at any time of the year, please give these birds a good shot at recovery by calling the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840.

On September 30th, our Quarter 3 internship ended, and we said goodbye to three awesome interns! Josh, Haylie, and Jace have been an integral part of HMAR for the past four months, spending dozens of hours at Kaimana Beach with Koalani or on the west side with seals. Our interns are an important part of our organization, and we couldn’t operate without them! Interested in interning with us? Go HERE to apply! We’re currently signing up interns for the Spring 2023 semester!

Thank You!

As always, we can’t do the work we do without all of you! We rely heavily on public donations to pay for gas, supplies, staff, and all the other things we need to do our work. Marine animal response, rescue, and education is rewarding, but not inexpensive. If you want to support us, you can donate HERE and every dollar helps. Mahalo for your support!

______________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

Marine Debris Work - Each week our marine debris team removes underwater entanglement hazards (net, line, hooks) from high fishing pressure areas to reduce animal entanglements, hookings, injuries and death of protected marine animals. Since we started our underwater removal activities, our Marine Debris Program (MDP) has removed more than 3,600 animal hazards, cleaned over 220 acres of underwater habitat, and we have collected many miles of monofilament fishing line. Taking all of this debris out of underwater habitat helps save Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

August 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: AUGUST 2022

Last month flew by! In our August HMAR report, we have updates for you on Koalani, sea turtles, interns, and more. Keep reading to check out everything about HMAR’s month of August.

Number of Calls to HMAR – August total 474 (about 15 per day)

Our hotline operators were busy this month, taking 474 calls! Of these, 356 were related to Hawaiian monk seals, 100 calls were for sea turtles, and there were 18 calls related to seabirds.

Number of Field Support Actions – August total 361 (about 11 per day)

Our team members conducted 361 field support actions in August. A big focus was on our Hawaiian monk seal pups! At the beginning of the month, PO8, now tagged RQ58 and named “Koalani,” was weaned by his mother, RH58 “Rocky,” on Kaimana Beach in Waikiki. A thorough risk assessment was conducted, and it was decided that the best option for Koalani’s natural development and safety was for him to be relocated to a new location. HMAR assisted NOAA in his relocation, and since then, our team has been with him each day (see picture left) to ensure his continued safety and health. He has been doing wonderfully in his new home! In addition to Koalani, on August 3rd, R016 “Right Spot” gave birth on Oahu for the first time! Her female pup, designated PO9 until she is tagged, has been named “Lehiwa” (lay-HE-va). We’re excited to have Right Spot and her new pup on Oahu with us this year (see picture right). This pup activity, plus all of our other activities, consumes many hours of work each day from our dedicated volunteers, interns, and staff. Thank you everyone!

In addition to our monk seal field responses, sea turtle rescues, and seabird interventions - we have been working on a project in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to search for and monitor sea turtle nests on Oahu’s offshore islands! This is the first time this labor-intensive project has been conducted (see picture left), and it’s important work to determine where and how sea turtles are using the nesting habitat on these small offshore islands. This work takes many hours each week and is handled by specialized interns using HMAR kayaks as well as HMAR boats and crews to get out to these remote islands.

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions – August total 25 (that's almost 1 every day!)

We conducted 25 rescues, interventions, stranding responses and escalated field actions in August. 4 of these were related to Hawaiian monk seals. 13 were for sea turtles in need, and 5 were to help seabirds.

Here is a bit about our two of the most memorable sea turtle rescues in August. At the beginning of the month, right before our hotline closed for the day, we got a call about a sea turtle on the North Shore with a hook in its mouth (see picture below). Our responders arrived on scene and attempted to remove the hook. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful but we were able to transport the sea turtle so that a NOAA veterinarian could remove the hook that evening. The next day the sea turtle patient was released back into the wild (see picture left). We love a good success story! [Sea turtle activity conducted pursuant to 50 CFR 222.310.]

Also, late in the afternoon one day last month, we got a call about a sea turtle wedged between two rocks. The sea conditions had been particularly rough that day, and the turtle had gotten stuck, unable to free itself! Our team immediately responded but finding the turtle was more difficult than expected. The public callers had already left the area, and finding a turtle in a small crack was more difficult than we had expected (see picture right)! Thankfully our staff have eagle eyes, and McKinley was able to spot the turtle after a few minutes of searching. Using the force of the waves, we removed the very active turtle, who immediately started flapping its flippers, ready to go for a swim. When McKinley released this little guy, he booked it through the water and was out of sight!

Remember, if you come upon a sea turtle that needs help, please call us right away so a trained responder can assist if possible. Attempting to intervene without proper training, experience, and the necessary federal permit can cause injuries to the turtle, injuries to you, and could be a violation of federal and state laws.

We also had some exciting seabird rescues this month! We had several downed brown boobies that we responded to, as well as a couple of wedge-tailed shearwaters. One of our most interesting seabird rescues was a brown booby at Kaena Point. The bird was resting about 3 feet from the edge of the rocks near the ocean and had a clearly injured wing, which was hanging into the tide pool next to it. We were able to carefully capture the seabird but it was very chatty during the process, and the bird was transported to the great team at Feather and Fur Animal Hospital in Kailua for treatment!

Please call to report any Hawaiian monk seals seen, as well as any sea turtles, seabirds, dolphins or whales that may need help. The NOAA marine wildlife hotline can be reached at (888) 256-9840.

Marine Debris - More Great Results in August!

You may not know, but our marine debris team does more than just diving. Before August, our team had seven fishing debris collection bins deployed around the island at busy fishing locations. Fishers use these bins to collect their used line and hooks so that they can be recycled or disposed of properly. In August, thanks to a partnership with the State of Hawaii Division of State Parks, we will nearly double the number of bins on Oahu by adding 6 more - 1 at Sand Island, 4 in the Kaena Point State Park, and 1 at the Kaiwi Shoreline. We’re excited to add these new bins (see picture left) and to continue to prevent derelict fishing gear from entering the ocean at the source. In addition, our underwater marine debris removal activity stayed as strong as ever in August. We completed 4 dives, cleared 7.3 acres of underwater habitat, extracted 1,606 feet of monofilament line, and removed 123 animal hazards!

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach - August total 2,915 people

We reached 2,915 people with face-to-face outreach and education in August. The new school year is upon us, and our Education department is excited to start classroom activities again (see picture right). We’ve started scheduling classes and have started our presentations.The first two classes we did were extra special. Two monk seal pups, PO8 and PO9, were both gifted their Hawaiian names. Waikiki Elementary’s 4th-grade classes gifted PO8 his name, and after much deliberation, they decided on the name “Koalani,” meaning “heavenly warrior”. Kahuku Elementary’s 5th-grade class gifted PO9 her name, “Lehiwa,” (lay-HE-va), meaning “attractive” and “admirable.” These students put in so much time, effort, and dedication towards gifting these pups their names, and we’re so excited for what the future holds for these little seals!

Additional News & Updates

In August, we added some new interns to our team! The fall semester has brought four new interns to our ranks and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them! Our interns work incredibly hard, each putting in 20 hours of work per week along with their classes and other jobs. So if you run into one of our interns, welcome them to the team. Are you interested in becoming an intern or know someone who would be? Head HERE to learn more about the program and to apply. Internships are an amazing opportunity to get your foot in the door in the marine sciences world. Not looking for such a large commitment? The same link takes you to our volunteer application! We have a new volunteer training class coming up in October so now is the time to apply!

Thank You!

As always, we can’t do the work we do without all of you! We rely heavily on public donations to pay for gas, supplies, staff, and all the other things we need to do our work. Marine animal response, rescue, and education is rewarding, but not inexpensive. If you want to support us, you can donate HERE and every dollar helps. Mahalo for your support!

______________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

Marine Debris Work - Each week our marine debris team removes underwater entanglement hazards (net, line, hooks) from high fishing pressure areas to reduce animal entanglements, hookings, injuries and death of protected marine animals. Since we started our underwater removal activities, our Marine Debris Program (MDP) has removed more than 3,400 animal hazards, cleaned over 200 acres of underwater habitat, and we have collected miles of monofilament fishing line. Taking all of this debris out of underwater habitat helps save Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

July 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: JULY 2022

July was wild! With a surprise pup born on Kaimana Beach in busy Waikiki Beach, and lots of field support, interventions, rescues, and education activities, we have bunches to tell you about the past few weeks! Read on to learn all about our July 2022 activity!

Number of Calls to HMAR – July total 542 (about 17 per day)

We received more calls this month than last with 431 calls relating to monk seals, 85 turtle calls and 26 seabird calls!

Number of Field Support Actions – July total 323 (about 11 per day)

A lot of our field activities were on Kaimana Beach this month. On July 9th in the very early morning Hawaiian monk seal RH58 “Rocky” gave birth on Kaimana Beach in Waikiki to her 14th pup, PO8 (see picture left). Our volunteers, staff and interns have been on the beach each day since July 9th from 6am-8pm - thats 14 hours each day! We are now right around the half-way point for their time together on the beach. Sometime in August it will be time for Rocky to wean her pup and go out to forage. After that, PO8 will be on his own for the first time to learn how to forage! In other pupping news, PO6 and PO7 have both been weaned and gifted names - PO6 (now tagged as RQ76) was named “Malama” which means light, moon or month, and PO7 (tagged with roto tag “72”) was named “Mahina” which means moon! To learn why these names were chosen, check out our post about it!

Our albatross team also finished their monitoring for the season at the end of the month when our chick fledged! (see picture right) Laysan albatross return to the islands each year in November to nest and the chicks hatch in February. When they are finally ready to leave the nest these chicks “fledge” meaning that they lose their down feathers to be replaced with the waterproof feathers that adults have, and they learn to fly. After that they are ready to go out to sea for the next few years!

Number of Rescues, Interventions, Stranding Responses and Escalated Field Actions – July total 28 (that's almost 1 every day!)

This month was busy with important interventions and escalated field actions with Hawaiian monk seals - we had three major actions this month we want to share with you all.

In the late afternoon on the 4th of July we received a call about a seal in the road at Kualoa Beach (see picture left). Our team immediately responded along with the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) to check out the situation, where we found Hawaiian monk seal RK28 “KC” hanging out at the bus stop on the roadway (see picture left). A plan was made with NOAA’s input and our staff on site was able to safely move KC off the road and into the water using crowding boards! A huge thanks to HPD who directed traffic for us to keep everyone safe during the intervention!

Later in the month we received a call from our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who had located the recently weaned Hawaiian monk seal RQ64 “Laki” who was reported with an entanglement around her neck (See picture right). Our staff was immediately dispatched to the location and notified NOAA who sent a team as well. Luckily we were able to locate Laki and we were able to assist NOAA in the intervention to remove the net from around her neck and release her. This was a stark reminder of why our marine debris work is so important to the survival of the species we work with. This is not the first time something like this has happened with one of our young seals and it probably won’t be the last. You can do your part to help our marine debris team by participating in our citizen science project - "BEAT DEBRIS" - and pick up derelict fishing gear that you see while diving! Check out https://h-mar.org/debrisreport for more information!

Our last major escalated field action for seals is one you have likely heard of by now. On Sunday morning, July 24th, at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, Rocky and PO8 went for a morning swim over by the natatorium. When they returned to the other side of the beach where they had been sleeping, people began exiting the water. One woman was swimming within the confines of the safety perimeter that has been up since the pup was born. Rocky perceived this as a potential threat to her pup and began vocalizing and swimming towards the swimmer before lunging at the woman, leaving her with injuries to her face, arm and back. This interaction was an important reminder for us that we are not law enforcement or human safety officers. Our role on the beach is to educate the public about safe distances from monk seals as well as to provide information about the mom and pup. We hope that this interaction was also a good reminder to the public about why we give the advice to swim elsewhere when a monk seal mom with a pup are in the area.

But, monk seal escalations weren’t the only thing going on this month. We also had our sea turtles and seabirds to worry about! In addition to our 7 monk seal escalations we also had 14 turtle rescues and 7 seabird rescues! One example occurred near the end of the month. McKinley and Emily (two of our staff members) went out to Laie to rescue a downed Black Noddy. The bird had injuries to both wings (see picture right) but still put up a heck of a fight while being rescued in the rain! When responders arrived the bird had hidden itself in a naupaka bush and we had to wait for the bird to come out before it was safe to capture. Thankfully after a few minutes of prep and planning the bird was carefully and safely captured and brought in for veterinarian support and treatment!

In addition to our rescues in the field, we also held a rescue clinic for our volunteers! During these clinics we teach our volunteers how to handle animals and our general protocols when responding to a rescue situation. We cover all of the animals our rescue team could potentially come in contact with: monk seals, sea turtles, seabirds and cetaceans (see picture left). Across all of our programs, our rescue operations require the most training and funding. Each volunteer, staff member and intern must be trained, prepared and equipped. We also have to purchase and maintain all of the necessary supplies. There is so much more going on behind the scenes than what happens in the field.

Marine Debris - More Excellent Results for July

Wow, July was big for our Marine Debris team! Over 6 dives our teams removed 13,178 feet of line, and 203 underwater animal hazards! In total they cleaned up 9.5 acres of underwater habitat on the south shore, west side and north shore of Oahu (see picture right)! Overall they collected 53.5 pounds of debris (most of which is lightweight and dangerous monofilament line and hooks!), the stuff that causes major injuries and deaths for monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Number of People Reached Through Face to Face Outreach - July total 2,727 people

July was a busy month for our Education and Engagement team even though it's still summer! The largest event we participated in was the Bishop Museum’s “Seas the Day” event (see picture right) which was an absolute blast for our volunteers! We talked to over 400 people, educating them about Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles and their threats! We have also continued our usual outreach events at Waikiki Aquarium and are starting school presentations up again! If you are interested in having our Education team come to your classroom this fall - head to https://h-mar.org/education to fill out a request form!

Additional News & Updates

In addition to our usual activities we also had some special events happen this month!

The two wedge tailed shearwater seabird colonies that we manage were surveyed this month because the birds have started nesting! Our colony in Kahuku had over 500 birds nesting this year - which is a large increase from our numbers last year (see picture left)! This increase is a great example of how simple conservation efforts (like roping off an area for the birds to nest in, engaging with community members and government agencies) can make a big difference! We’ll be back in September to find out how many of those burrows have chicks inside.

At the end of the month we celebrated our volunteers with our first volunteer potluck and meeting in over two years! It was great to see our volunteers that were able to come out as well as give awards and recognitions! We did a special thank you to Cindy Jenness (see picture right) who in just the past few years has worked over 12,000 hours with HMAR helping Hawaii’s marine protected animals and the ocean!

We also have a new opportunity for local college students to pursue - a stipend internship! If you have a background consistent with training, family history/activity, or personal experiences involving ocean health, sustainability, and responsible use and management of ocean resources. We are particularly looking to recruit from Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities. Check out https://h-mar.org/stipend-internship for more information!

We greatly appreciate your support of HMAR, we couldn’t do what we do without you! If you would like to provide additional support, you can donate or volunteer today! In July, we kicked off a special fundraising campaign for a response truck. We can’t do the work we do without our trucks, and we need another truck to take the load off our trucks that are getting old. You can donate today at https://gofund.me/a9fa074b or you can donate to our general fund at https://h-mar.org/get-involved/. That web page also brings you to our volunteer application page, and we are always looking for new volunteers!

______________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

Marine Debris Work - Each week our marine debris team removes underwater entanglement hazards (net, line, hooks) from high fishing pressure areas to reduce animal entanglements, hookings, injuries and death of protected marine animals. Since we started our underwater removal activities, our Marine Debris Program (MDP) has removed more than 3,000 animal hazards, cleaned over 200 acres of underwater habitat, and we have collected miles of monofilament fishing line. Taking all of this debris out of underwater habitat helps save Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Thank you for your continued support!

by HMAR

HMAR

2022 Year In Review

HMAR 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

Thank you for your continued support!

November 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: November 2022

Thank you for your continued support!

October 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: October 2022

Thank you for your continued support!

September 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2022

Thank you for your continued support!

August 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: AUGUST 2022

Thank you for your continued support!

July 2022 Update

MONTHLY HMAR UPDATE: JULY 2022

Thank you for your continued support!

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