Lesson 2: Tracking Albatross Migrations

Lesson 2 Presentation Content Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate – Navigating the Ocean – Plotting Albatross Locations – Analyzing Albatross Movements – Satellite Tracking – Other Seabird Movements

Engage Navigating the Ocean

A crucial skill for ocean exploration is to map your location, often with no landmarks.

Skilled sailors are able to navigate using the stars, sun, ocean conditions (wind, waves), and other natural cues (such as seabirds and clouds). Painting by Herb Kawainui Kane

Oceanographers navigate the ocean using a variety of technological tools such as radar, sonar, and satellite communication.

Satellites are important in the scientific study of the oceans and marine life

Seabirds, especially albatross, spend most of their lives at sea.

Where do they go?

The Hypothesis... From many years of boat observations, scientists knew that Hawaiian albatross visited the west coast of North America.

The first albatross ever tracked from Hawai‘i confirmed this migration route

Do albatross from other Hawaiian Atolls travel to the same places?

Reminds us of a few critical aspects about science: Scientific knowledge is subject to change. Technology and human creativity aid science. Hypotheses not supported by data are just as important as hypotheses that are… they both advance our understanding. A great discovery!

Scientists used satellite tracking to follow the birds’ movements. A satellite tag was attached to a few feathers with tape. The scientists can determine the animals’locations after they are released. How do we know? More details on this technology later...

Albatross Wearing a Transmitter

Explore Plotting Albatross Locations

Now it’s your turn Use coordinates to track positions of individual albatross on a map of the Pacific Ocean.

Plot Albatross Routes from 3 Tagging Sites

Tagging Site: Kure Atoll Seabird Sanctuary

Tagging Site: Tern Island, National Wildlife Refuge

Tagging Site: Waters over Cordell Bank

A Quick Review - Latitude °Measured in degrees north or south of the equator (line of 0 °latitude). Lines of latitude run parallel to the equator.

A Quick Review - Longitude °Measured in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian (line of 0 °longitude). Lines of longitude meet at the north and the south poles.

Explain Analyzing Albatross Movements

12 Albatross Mapped – by Tag ID

Elaborate Satellite Tracking

Radio Tracking

Satellite Tracking Graphic from The Albatross Project, Wake Forest University

Evaluate Other Seabird Movements

The Pink-footed Shearwater nests in Chile and migrates to ?

The Pink-footed Shearwater raises chicks on islands off Chile. One colony is on the famous Robinson Crusoe Island. How far do these birds migrate?

Use Agreement This presentation was developed for Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by Meghan Marrero of Mercy College and Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge. Teachers, educators, researchers and students may incorporate these materials into their lesson plans, presentations, and worksheets in hard copy and digital format for internal educational use only, not into any publication for external distribution. All photos, art, video and data have been contributed free of charge to create this product for educational use. Content may be copyrighted and/or owned by individuals and entities other than, and in addition to, NOAA and Oikonos. Credits for all the media are embedded or included, please retain credits when reproducing. No organization or person (whether an educational body or not) may incorporate this material into any media for promotional or commercial purpose whatsoever. Please contact Oikonos or NOAA to request further use of any images, art, video, data or text included in this presentation – we will contact contributing authors. Contact: All resources for this curriculum are available at :

Engage – Navigating the Ocean 1.Navigation without Landmarks 2.Navigating by natural cues 3.Navigating by various technologies 4.Satellite Technology is Important to Ocean Science 5.Soaring Albatross 6.Observing Wildlife From a Boat 7.Map of First Albatross Tracks 8.Map of New Albatross Tracks 9.A Great Discovery 10.How Birds are Tracked 11.Albatross with a Transmitter Explore – Plotting Albatross Locations 1.Map of One Albatross – Your Turn to Plot 2.3 Tagging Sites on the Blank Student Map 3.Kure Atoll site 4.Tern Island site 5.Cordell Bank site 6.Latitude Illustration 7.Longitude Illustration Explain – Analyzing Albatross Movements 1.6 Maps of Individual Albatross Plotted by the Students 2.Map comparing the tracks of an Albatross migrating vs. feeding a chick 3.All 12 tracks in Student Handout Elaborate – Satellite Tagging 1.Radio Tracking 2.Satellite Tagging Evaluate – Other Seabird Movements 1.Pink-footed Shearwater 2.Breeding Colony in Chile Lesson 2 Presentation Content