Protected Species Division

The mission of the Protected Species Division is to provide the scientific foundation for conservation of Hawaiian monk seals, cetaceans and sea turtles in the Pacific islands. More...

News and Highlights

• February 7, 2012
  

  NOAA Fisheries removes aggressive monk seal KE18 from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

  On Sunday, January 29, an adult male Hawaiian monk seal known as KE18 was carefully removed from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands where his aggressive behavior had caused serious injury to young seals and posed a threat to their survival. KE18 was transported to Honolulu on a U.S. Coast Guard C-130. He will temporarily reside at the Waikiki Aquarium while officials continue to evaluate other options. More...
• October 1, 2011
  

  Final Deployment of Loggerhead Turtles Outfitted with Satellite-transmitter Tags Marks Successful Collaboration with Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

  In July 2011, PIFSC scientist George Balazs, leader of the Center's Marine Turtle Research Program (MTRP), worked with colleagues from Japan and Hong Kong to deploy satellite-transmitter tracking tags on immature loggerhead turtles captive-bred and reared for research at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (PNPA). More...
• October 1, 2011
  

  Field Season Ends for Hawaiian Monk Seal Research and Population Monitoring

  The 2011 summer field season has drawn to a close with notable progress made in research to assess the status of Hawaiian monk seals throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago and actions to enhance recovery of the highly endangered species. More...
• September 15, 2011
  

  PIFSC Sea Turtle Research and Monitoring Reviewed by Expert Panel

  A panel of independent experts reviews and evaluates the Center's approaches to research on sea turtle population modeling, population monitoring and by-catch mitigation. More...

Recent Staff Publications

• May 15, 2012

  Hawksbill sea turtles in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

  Van Houtan KS, Kittinger JN, Lawrence AL, Yoshinaga C, Born VR, Fox A
  [2012] Chelonian Conservation and Biology 11(1): 000-000
• May 09, 2012

  New primers reveal the presence of a duplicate histone H3 in the marine turtle leech Ozobranchus branchiatus

  Lavretsky P, Truong TM, McGowin AE, Balazs GH, Peters JL
  [2012] Conservation Genetics Resources 4(2): 487-490. DOI: 10.1007/s12686-011-9581-6

  View Abstract
• April 02, 2012

  Effectiveness of an antihelminthic treatment in improving the body condition and survival of Hawaiian monk seals

  Gobush KS, Baker JD, Gulland FMD
  [2011] Endangered Species Research 15: 29-37. DOI: 10.3354/esr00364

  View Abstract
• March 01, 2012

  Cetacean surveys of Guam and CNMI waters: August - September, 2011

  Hill M, Ligon A, Deakos M, U Adam, Norris E, Oleson E
  [2012] Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Data Report, DR-12-002, 25 p

  Download ( 1.4 MB PDF )
• October 18, 2011

  Growth of captive leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, with inferences on growth in the wild: Implications for population decline and recovery

  Jones TT, Hastings MD, Bostrom BL, Pauly D, Jones DR
  [2011] Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 399: 84-92
• October 18, 2011

  The Hawaiian monk seal in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, 2004

  Johanos TC, Baker JD (comps. and eds.)
  [2011] U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-28, 112 p. + Appendices

  Download ( 2.6 MB PDF )