In the 1800s, shipwrecked crews ate them in order to survive. By the early 1900s, humans were developing commercial and military facilities in monk seal habitat. Scientist estimate about 1,300 to 1,400 monk seals live in the Hawaiian islands chain today. The Hawaiian Monk Seal recovery efforts are overseen by the National Marine Fisheries Service , in cooperation with other government and private organizations and universities. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages many remote islands as National Wildlife Refuges to protect their habitat.
Research includes monitoring monk seal reproduction, survival techniques, and behavior.
The Hawaiian Monk Seal was listed as an endangered species in 1976 under the Federal Endangered Species Act.