This data set contains information on Hawaiian monk seal gross necropsy (in some cases only field notes or minimal information) and histopathology results beginning in 1964. Data includes information on all recovered Hawaiian monk seal carcasses that were necropsied. Information derived from pathology reports is included when tissues were reviewed by pathologists. Necropsy tissues are collected by Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program (HMSRP) personnel and cooperating scientists as part of the ongoing health and disease assessment. The tissues are reviewed by collaborating pathologists. All original paper reports are housed at the NOAA Inouye Regional Center (IRC) and most are available electronically. Data are available in an excel spreadsheet.

This photo collection contains identification and other images and video of Hawaiian monk seals taken by PSD personnel and cooperating scientists as part of the ongoing monk seal population assessment efforts. Searchable digital photo databases were developed for each breeding location in 2002 and were in near final form by 2003 and contain individual ID photos, survival factors, necropsy photos, archives, and miscellaneous images.

This data set contains records for all handling and measurement of Hawaiian monk seals since 1981. Live seals are handled and measured during a variety of events including tagging, instrumenting, disentangling, translocation, and health screening by PSD personnel and cooperating scientists as part of the ongoing monk seal population assessment and recovery efforts. In addition, this data set contains measurements of dead seals collected during necropsy and handlings for all seals that were tagged by USFWS in earlier years, and still present in the population when the current research effort began. These handling records extend as far back as 1967. The remainder of the USFWS handling data (data for seals that disappeared prior to the inception of the PSD research program) are housed at PIFSC in paper form.

This data set contains records of Hawaiian monk seal and green turtle sightings in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) since 1982 at Lisianski Island, and since 1983 for most other locations. Data are collected during standardized whole-island surveys, both timed (censuses/atoll counts) and not timed (patrols/behavior patrols). Other types of surveys and incidental observations are also included in the data set. Although turtles may be recorded on any survey, turtle data collection is only required during censuses/atoll counts. These data include Main Hawaiian Island (MHI) aerial survey data collected in 2000-01. All MHI sighting data were integrated into a common format in 2005, and eventually the monk seal survey data set will contain all monk seal sighting data regardless of location. Though most of the data have been entered, some data are housed at PIFSC in paper form.

Ultrasound images for measuring the condition of juvenile seals at Laysan Island during 2009-2010, collected when seals were handled as part of the De-Worming Project

Hematology and serum chemistry evaluations are essential to a patients comprehensive health exam by providing measures of organ function, blood cell volume and health status. Reference ranges have to be established to interpret that the values are within normal limits. Presently, hematology and serum chemistry results from healthy, sick and injured Hawaiian monk seals are interpreted using past studies, which were limited by small samples sizes across age classes, collected from captive Hawaiian monk seals or established using frozen samples. This study builds on previous studies in sample size, quality and demographic representation to establish blood reference ranges by using samples collected between 2004 and 2015 from wild monk seals of multiple age classes (n=65 seals; 28 adults, 18 subadults, 8 juveniles, 11 weaned pups). Samples were analyzed by a single veterinary diagnostic laboratory within 24 hours of collection from apparently healthy, free-ranging wild seals sampled opportunistically during population monitoring and research activities. Reference ranges were developed for 50 complete blood cell counts and serum chemistry parameters using the mean of the values within two standard deviations. While there are several possible approaches to establishment of reference ranges, this method was chosen to maintain consistency with those used by the veterinary diagnostic laboratory most commonly used for sample analysis. Key indices evaluated include total white blood cell count (WBC; mean- 8.145 K/uL, SD-1.73 ), red blood cell count (RBC; mean- 3.397 M/uL, SD- 0.46), hematocrit (mean- 51.56%, SD- 4.99), and total serum protein (TP; mean- 7.625g/dL, SD- 0.81). The development of comprehensive hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges for Hawaiian monk seals will enable more consistent and systematic interpretation of results, which will aid in the assessment and treatment of seals in rehabilitation and the determination of health status of seals sampled during translocation and other research/recovery activities.

This project investigates the dietary consumption of Hawaiian monk seals using traditional dietary analysis of fecal and regurgitate samples. Samples are collected opportunistically at haul out locations throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Main Hawaiian Islands. Information collected during sample collection includes seal identifications and location of collection. Following cleaning and drying protocols, samples are analyzed and prey hard parts are identified to lowest taxonomic resolution. Identification is made to at least Family level, but often Genus, and occasionally Species level.

This project investigates the dietary consumption of Hawaiian monk seals using traditional dietary analysis of fecal and regurgitate samples. Samples are collected opportunistically at haul out locations throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Main Hawaiian Islands. Information collected during sample collection includes seal identifications and location of collection. Following cleaning and drying protocols, samples are analyzed and prey hard parts are identified to lowest taxonomic resolution. Identification is made to at least Family level, but often Genus, and occasionally Species level.

This data set contains information on persistent organic pollutant analysis of Hawaiian monk seal whole blood and blubber samples from the northwestern Hawaiian islands (samples collected 1998-2001) and serum and blubber samples from the main Hawaiian islands (samples collected 2000-2010). Samples were collected from both live animals during handling for other purposes (health assessment or telemetry device application) and dead animals through necropsy. Data is available in excel spreadsheets.

This data set documents locations and location codes used in monk seal data collection as part of the ongoing monk seal population assessment efforts. Information includes atolls, islets within each atoll, sectors valid for each islet, and GPS coordinates. Sectors for the six main breeding locations in the NWHI were established in 1982 at the beginning of concerted data collection by this project, and have remained fairly constant with the exception of boundary changes at Lisianski and Midway in 1992, and islet coding changes at Kure in 1994. In recent years sectors have also been established for the main Hawaiian islands.