Hawaii Marine Animal Response - http://h-mar.org

Causes: Animal Protection & Welfare, Animals, Protection of Endangered Species

Mission: To undertake substantial actions that result in the preservation, recovery and stewardship of Hawaii’s endangered, threatened or protected marine species.

Results: Over the past 12 months, our hotline has recorded thousands of sightings of protected marine species and more than 400 surveys of shorelines have been conducted by team members to provide critical data for endangered species research. Members of our team have been engaged in field response and other activity more than 3,700 times and we have been involved in 51 escalations, emergency responses and field interventions which have helped save protected marine animals from deaths and injury caused by disease, hookings, entanglement and other hazards. Volunteers and staff have engaged with members of the public more than 56,000 times and have logged more than 16,500 hours of work which equates to a 380% return on investment on the federal grant dollars we have received.

Geographic areas served: State of Hawaii

Programs: Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) is the field operations arm of Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance Inc. and is Hawaii’s largest non-profit marine species conservation and response organization. We cover approximately 300 miles of coastline on the islands of Oahu and Molokai with our team of volunteers, interns and staff. We are a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation and stewardship of Hawaii’s endangered, threatened or protected marine species. HMAR is supported by private donations, corporate support and government grants. Under partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the State of Hawaii, HMAR is the designated first responder organization for field activity associated with the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and protected sea turtles within our geographic range of operations. We provide important species preservation, conservation and recovery support in important ways. (1) Our Field Response Team spends thousands of hours annually patrolling for animals, or responding to specific sightings, so we may document the condition of specific animals, identify potential health issues, track locations of individual animals and record other data needed for species population and recovery research. Our actions save protected marine animals from deaths and injuries caused by disease, hookings, entanglement in marine debris and potentially dangerous or inappropriate interaction with humans and pets. We are involved in animal intervention activity, stranding support and marine animal rescue to enable medical treatment, rehabilitation and release. We engage with the public to teach sustainable human, pet and fishery behaviors resulting in improved public stewardship for these animals to support long-term species recovery. (2) Our Outreach and Education Team works with Hawaii’s public and private schools to educate children about Hawaii’s protected marine species and to teach each child how they can help with marine animal conservation and stewardship. We also participate in community events, make educational presentations at public venues and assist in development of community policy to inform residents and visitors about Hawaii’s protected marine animals, the threats to species survival, and the actions we can all take to make an impact. (3) Our Dispatch & Reporting Team manages a telephone hotline which each year receives thousands of calls and mobile app-generated reports from the public or government agencies of protected marine animals seen on shorelines or in near shore waters. This department also records and shares data obtained by our Field Response Team such as animal condition assessments, animal location information and animal behavior data, with NOAA to facilitate in-depth species research and population conservation and recovery efforts.