Furthermore, accidental entanglement in fishing gear, known as bycatch, remains a leading cause of adult mortality. Once thought to be extinct in the 1950s, a small population was rediscovered, offering a sliver of hope.
Monk Seal Extinct: Shrinking Food Supply Threat Intensifies
Compounding this issue is the emergence of novel diseases and shark predation, which have increased as the ecosystem dynamics change. However, their numbers have since declined precipitously, making them one of the rarest seals on the planet.
With a total population estimated in the low hundreds, this subspecies clings to existence in fragmented pockets across the Aegean Sea and the coast of West Africa. The fish stocks they rely on are shifting due to warming ocean temperatures and competition from commercial fisheries.
Monk Seal Extinct: Shrinking Food Supply Threat Intensifies
This nutritional stress weakens the population, making recovery an uphill climb. Young seals, in particular, are vulnerable when they cannot find enough fish to sustain their rapid growth.
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