A third monk seal was found dead on Molokai Wednesday and officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working to determine the cause of death.

The discovery comes after news last week that NOAA is investigating the deaths of two other monk seals in which foul play is suspected.

A necropsy will be conducted to try to determine the cause of death of the monk seal found dead this week, according to Jeff Walters, the Hawaiian monk seal recovery coordinator for NOAA. He said no additional information was available at this time, but that results of the necropsy could be in late Thursday.

The monk seal deaths come at a time when tensions between local fishermen and NOAA have escalated as the agency considers expanding protections for the endangered species around the main Hawaiian islands.

Since the 1980s, the seals have been protected by a critical habitat designation around the remote, northwest Hawaiian islands. The designation means that any activity that entails federal funding, federal permits or a federal action, must be reviewed by NOAA's Fisheries Service to ensure that the seal population won't be adversely impacted. The same protections are currently under review for the main Hawaiian islands.

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