(Photo by Wikipedia.com)
After fifty years of hiding, the Mediterranean monk seal has finally decided to say hi. Last sighted in 1958, the monk seal seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth until reports around the southern Israeli coastline started to crop up in late 2009 of their reemergence.
The first positive identification recorded happened in early 2010 when a photograph was taken of a female monk seal snoozing in a small sea-side alcove. Since then, the Israel Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC) has received 45 visual reports, including video and pictures, of monk seal sightings. The evidence presented suggests that at least two monk seals are frequenting the Israeli coast which could possibly lead to the nullification of the monk seals local extinction status.
The Mediterranean monk seal is currently thought to be locally extinct from Israel. If the evidence presented is proven to not be a fluke, then it can be inferred that Mediterranean monk seals are trying to expand. This is a significant distance since their closest known colonies are located in northern Cyprus and Turkey.
Besides distance, the Mediterranean monk seal will face other challenges in colonizing the Israeli coastline. The coastal reserve by law currently protects only 16 km and there are no isolated beaches and caves free of human disruption. If the monk seal is to stand a chance in repopulating the Israeli coastline, conservation efforts need to be made a priority.
Works Cited
Scheinin, Aviad P.; Goffman, Ozz; Elasar, Mia; Perelberg, Amir; Kerem, Dan H. “Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Resighted Along the Israeli Coastline After More than Half a Century.” Aquatic Mammals. Sep2011, Vol. 37 Issue 3, p241-242, 2p. 7 Jan. 2012. Web.
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_monk_seal
The first positive identification recorded happened in early 2010 when a photograph was taken of a female monk seal snoozing in a small sea-side alcove. Since then, the Israel Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC) has received 45 visual reports, including video and pictures, of monk seal sightings. The evidence presented suggests that at least two monk seals are frequenting the Israeli coast which could possibly lead to the nullification of the monk seals local extinction status.
The Mediterranean monk seal is currently thought to be locally extinct from Israel. If the evidence presented is proven to not be a fluke, then it can be inferred that Mediterranean monk seals are trying to expand. This is a significant distance since their closest known colonies are located in northern Cyprus and Turkey.
Besides distance, the Mediterranean monk seal will face other challenges in colonizing the Israeli coastline. The coastal reserve by law currently protects only 16 km and there are no isolated beaches and caves free of human disruption. If the monk seal is to stand a chance in repopulating the Israeli coastline, conservation efforts need to be made a priority.
Works Cited
Scheinin, Aviad P.; Goffman, Ozz; Elasar, Mia; Perelberg, Amir; Kerem, Dan H. “Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Resighted Along the Israeli Coastline After More than Half a Century.” Aquatic Mammals. Sep2011, Vol. 37 Issue 3, p241-242, 2p. 7 Jan. 2012. Web.
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_monk_seal
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