#maybe they'll introduce Hawaiian seals in the region to fill that niche and as part of the species conservation efforts | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bywandandsword · 5 months

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Y'all I recently learned that the Gulf of Mexico used to have a native seal, but they went extinct in the the 1960s, partially due to hunting and over hunting their food sources. They were called Caribbean Monk seals and are closely related to the Hawaiian Monk seal and the Mediterranean Monk seal, both of which are endangered

(Pictured: a Hawaiian monk seal)

#We used to have seals! We've been robbed!!#Also they played a vital niche in the gulf's ecosystem #maybe they'll introduce Hawaiian seals in the region to fill that niche and as part of the species conservation efforts #give them the manatee treatment; it's illegal to touch them unless you're approved as part of conservation work #I do know harbor seals have been seen more frequently on Florida's east coast so maybe they'll make their way into the gulf #but I think they need to cold water so I'm not sure how feasible that is

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