The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the world's most endangered species, and this recovery plan is designed to help save the species from extinction.

Recovery plans are designed to describe threats facing the species and the actions needed to address those threats, under an Endangered Species Act requirement.

Although the monk seal population remained stable in the 1990s, the Hawaiian monk seal is in crisis because the population is now declining at a rate of about 4 percent yearly. Biologists estimate the current population at about 1,200 individuals. Biologists' models predict the species' population will fall below 1,000 animals within the next three to four years, which places the Hawaiian monk seal among the world's most endangered species.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's new version of the recovery plan is significant since it addresses these and other threats, and details the management and research needed to give monk seals the best chance for survival.

Although most of the monk seal population is found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — now part of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — the new plan also addresses the growing population in the main Hawaiian Islands.