Cartography has us near enough up-to-date on the lay of the land on Earth, but while we can view stretches of land from space, we can still miss out on nuggets of biological phenomena in the finer details. One such golden nugget was recently secured in Northern Cyprus, where researchers found a breeding ground for Mediterranean Monk seals (Hawaiian Monk seals are the eel snorters) that was previously unknown to science.
The discovery, published in the journal Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation, is a rare bit of good news for the world’s most endangered species of seal. Conservationists can now work towards prioritizing caves that should be protected in the region to support the continuation of the population.
Scientists Discover Breeding Site For World s Rarest Seal Species
KEY POINTS
Researchers discovered a previously unknown breeding site for the species
The site requires urgent protection because of the threats to the species
The researchers of a new study discovered a new breeding site for what s known as the rarest seal species in the world, and it needs to be protected.
Mediterranean monk seals are already in danger of extinction, with their populations now at less than 700, the Marine Mammal Commission (
MMC) said. Typically, the species uses open beaches to rest and breed, but they have since moved to caves because of human disturbance.