HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
Although Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schaulinislandi) tend to live far from humans on remote beaches throughout the Hawaiian Island chain, fewer than 1,000 of them remain and their numbers continue to decline. Scientists are unsure of the cause, but suspect that changes in ocean conditions and competition from commercial fishermen may be reducing the numbers of fish they depend on for food. They also face threats from entanglements in fishing nets and discarded fishing gear and can catch diseases from dogs and other domestic animals.