Long before the first speck of land that would become the Big Island of Hawai'i ever appeared above sea level, Hawaiian monk seals by the thousands were swimming those Pacific waters.

Today, the mammals are on their way to extinction.

"This is a very critically endangered species," said David Schofield, regional marine mammal response coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. "They are in dire straits."

Schofield coordinated the monk seal count efforts yesterday of some 500 volunteers who scouted beaches across the state. The count is a pilot project that began with the first count last April, another in October, and the third yesterday. The initial count was 41 sightings, the second 26, and yesterday's preliminary count was 24. (Schofield believes the tally will be greater as more numbers come in this week.)

In addition to the count, the exercise is part of a concerted effort to raise awareness about the plight of the seals and drum up volunteer support.

Gov. Linda Lingle issued a proclamation making April 19, 2008, Monk Seal Day, pointing out that according to NOAA, "a sustained population of 2,900 (monk) seals is required for the species' recovery."

And that population, according to Schofield, needs to be maintained for two decades in order to move monk seals out of the endangered species category. Sadly, he said, the seals are declining at the alarming rate of about 4 percent a year, and their population has dwindled to about 1,100 in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with an additional 80 to 100 here in the main Hawaiian Islands — putting the population well below half the number needed to keep the species alive.

State Rep. Kymberly Pine, who was among the seal watchers on O'ahu yesterday, has also tried to raise awareness and educate the public about the crisis by introducing two bills that would make the monk seal the state mammal as well as make the third Saturday in April a permanent Monk Seal Day.

Pine, R-43rd ('Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point, Pu'uloa), said she got involved when she discovered that many residents and visitors are unaware of the existence of monk seals in Hawai'i.

"And a lot of them are not aware that monk seals are in huge decline," said Pine as she walked the beach off Diamond Head, with Schofield and volunteer NOAA Monk Seal Response Team members Senchal Chai and Chelsea Dudoit. "We've got about 1,220 monk seals now. But they think that in about five or six years, that will drop to around 1,000."

Compounding the problem have been horror stories, she said — such as the female monk seal that came ashore on the Wai'anae Coast last year snarled in so much fishnet that it died, or the man who actually turned his dog loose on a monk seal recently this year.

Pine, Schofield and the volunteers believe the seal's dismal prospects can be turned around if more people become involved.

"It can't just be me and the other federal agencies trying to recover this species," Schofield said. "It's going to take all of us at the community level to take responsibility over these animals. If we start now, we can save the species.

There are numerous ways people can get involved. Among the simplest is to stop throwing trash and netting on the beaches on in the ocean. More active involvement include staying 150 feet away from any monk seal that's sighted, and to call NOAA Fisheries to alert them to the seal's presence.

"Just calling and letting us know where the monk seals are is important because we know most of them as individuals here on the main islands. And if people send us a picture or a description of the animal, we'll be able to tell which one it is," Schofield said.

Otherwise, he said volunteers are needed to watch over monk seals that are molting sometimes for weeks on the beach to protect them from dogs and other disturbances.

"And if we have a pupping event, people can volunteer to watch over the mom and pup for a total of five to seven weeks. We need volunteers to collect nursing and behavioral data and to educate the public about the mom and pup and why it's important not disturb them."

To report a monk seal sighting, call the NOAA Fisheries 24/7 hot line at 888-256-9840, or on O'ahu, to volunteer or report a seal sighting, call 220-7802.