CHARLIE'S OPINION
Should the Hawaiian Monk Seal Be Saved?
The Monk Seal population is in grave danger of total extinction. Specifically speaking of the Hawaiian Monk Seal, they have come down to about 1,000 total seals left in their population. Sadly, they have very little time left to recover but it is essential that they do. The Hawaiian Monk Seal is practically the glue holding the Hawaiian marine ecosystem together. Just their diet alone plays a vital role in the ecosystem around them; it has the ability to alter the whole ecosystem if disturbed. They provide stability throughout the food chain, which helps maintain an overall balance with the several other species living in the same ecosystem. If the Hawaiian Monk Seal were to go extinct everything in the food chain would be displaced, and there no other species able to regulate their previous prey so, in turn there would eventually be too many or too little of another species.
As stated earlier the Monk Seal population as a whole is suffering. There are three different species of Monk Seals: the Mediterranean, Hawaiian, and Caribbean Monk Seal. The Caribbean Monk Seals have already gone extinct and the Mediterranean Monk Seals’ population size is down to about 600, which means they are technically “functionally extinct” meaning they offer no real function to their environment anymore. So, essentially the Hawaiian Monk Seals are the last hope for the survival of the Monk Seal population. The order of the entire marine ecosystem depends on the survival of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Tragically, several other species would also fall if the Hawaiian Monk Seal were to go extinct.
From an economic perspective, the Hawaiian Monk Seal is also somewhat imperative for the economic success of the state. The Hawaiian Monk Seal is endemic, which means they can't be found anywhere else in the world, as a result this brings a great deal of tourism to the island. Therefore, without the uniqueness of the Hawaiian Monk Seal, the Hawaiian economy would lose a section of their private capital. This would take a toll on the economy, putting virtually the entire state in jeopardy.
Overall, I strongly believe the Hawaiian Monk Seal deserves the time and effort to be saved. They offer far too much to the environment around them to go extinct. There would be a significant change in the environment if this were to happen; one where it is questionable if recovery is an option after they are gone.