The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. The population overall had been declining for six decades and current numbers, though increasing, are only about one-third of historic population levels. Importantly, however, the current upward trend is in part due to NOAA Fisheries recovery efforts. The population is estimated to be around 1,400 seals—about 1,100 seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands.