Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response: HMAR
Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (HMAR) is the largest Hawaii-based nonprofit marine species conservation, education, field support, rescues, and stranding response organization. Their mission is to take substantial actions toward the preservation and recovery of Hawaii’s marine protected species and ocean ecosystem. Each day HMAR is out on the shoreline and in communities educating the public about their mission and doing hands-on work to preserve these important marine species. HMAR’s work is essential for the conservation of marine animals and the ecosystem.
Purpose of Activity
To undertake substantial actions that result in the preservation, recovery and stewardship of Hawaii’s marine protected species and the ocean ecosystem we share.
Activities
Thousands of times yearly, HMAR volunteers, interns, and staff respond to Hawaiian monk seals resting on Oahu’s shoreline. Because of their very endangered status, every animal is important so during their time on shore volunteers identify the individual seal, assess its body condition, and look for signs of injury or illness while also providing outreach to the public from behind the perimeters they set up so that the seal has a space to rest. This response activity occurs multiple times each day all around Oahu, which is Hawaii’s most populated island! In addition to monk seal response, HMAR staff, interns, and rescue volunteers often participate in interventions and rescues for sea turtles, seabirds, monk seals, dolphins, and whales. These rescues and interventions look different depending on the day and situation, ranging from picking up young seabirds needing help from the side of the road to removing fishing line from entangled sea turtles. Although many of their rescues have happy endings – there are also times when HMAR responds to deceased animals that will be brought to scientists for a necropsy to understand how they died which helps them better manage field activity for maximum benefits. Rescues and interventions are essential to save the live animals that need help and to gain a better understanding of the problems Hawaii’s animals are facing and how HMAR and others can mitigate those issues in the future.
Volunteer and Ride Along
Most of our opportunities are for people living on island since our volunteers go through intensive training. However visitors can learn more about us by joining our team for a Ride Along!
HMAR has 6 volunteer programs for anyone residing on Oahu that is over the age of 18. Our most popular program is the Field Support and Outreach (FSO) program. Volunteers in this program respond to Oahu’s monk seals to set up perimeters, identify the animal and provide outreach to the public. In addition to our FSO program we have volunteers who dive for marine debris, educate students in classrooms and answer our Marine Wildlife Hotline. All of our programs work together synergistically to have the greatest impact for Oahu’s protected marine species. To learn more and apply click the button below.
If you are visiting Oahu and want to get a better understanding of what HMAR does, a ride-along is the best option! By participating in a ride-along you’ll spend 4 hours with a HMAR staff member learning about our organization and what we do. Each ride-along is different since our work is so variable. Some ride-alongs help us to identify seals, some visit our Laysan albatross colony and others help to rescue sea turtles! To learn more and sign up click the button below.
History
- 2016
- HMAR was established. Started with monk seal response and managing the statewide marine wildlife hotline for monk seals.
- 2017
- Sea Turtle Rescue began
- 2018
- Seabird rescue, monitoring and outreach began
- 2019
- Marine debris program, pinniped and cetacean stranding agreement with NOAA began
- 2020
- Seabird habitat conservation began
- 2022
- Offshore island surveys for sea turtle nesting
