Published By National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Issued about 9 years ago
Summary
Description
The data set contains records of all entanglements of Hawaiian monk seals in marine debris. The data set comprises records of seals entangled by derelict fishing gear, plastic items such as rings or packing bands, or other items of human provenance. Records are also included of seals which have girdling scars characteristic of having been entangled, even if no direct entanglement was observed. The data include number of incidents, not number of individual seals (since some animals have been entangled multiple times). The data do NOT include incidents in which seals become entangled in fishing gear while it is being actively fished. Data include primarily reports from field biologists in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.