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July 2007

Albatross Ahoy !

Oikonos is busy this summer gaining and sharing knowledge about albatross and their environment.

Albatross migrations online in real time

Animated art on exhibit - Ocean Travelers

New collaboration with Sealife Conservation to engage students and local residents in ocean pollution research and solutions

Live Maps - Albatross Migrations

For the 3rd season, 10 Black-footed Albatross were fitted with small (49 gram) satellite transmitters taped to their back feathers on July 10th and 11th, 2007.

Now the fun begins!
Courtesy of Seaturtle.org, view daily updated voyage maps of each bird:

click for updated maps

Learn more at the main project page

The main goal of this research is to enhance the understanding of Black-footed Albatross movements, foraging grounds, and overlap with threats at sea, including high seas longline fisheries and concentrations of marine debris across the North Pacific.

Birds were tagged at sea in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 45 km northwest of San Francisco. This granite bank is known as a 'hot spot' where albatross aggregate during the summer - and 2007 was no exception.

Two Black-footed Albatross resting at Cordell Bank. The antenna from the tag is visible on the bird to the right.
© Sophie Webb 2007

New Interactive Art

'Ocean Travelers' animation created by Greg Hester and watercolor by Sophie Webb

Take a Pelagic Trip

Learn about the fauna of Cordell Bank by clicking on the birds and the whales

New Collaboration

The 'Tracking Albatross and Tracking Trash' project has begun an exciting new collaboration with Sealife Conservation

The mission of Sealife Conservation is to inspire conservation of the oceans and marine life by fostering awareness of the marine environment through hands on experience, involvement, education, and research.

In 2007, Carol Keiper met David Robinson from Sealife Conservation and organized a student expedition on San Francisco Bay aboard the Derek M. Baylis, a eco-friendly research vessel. Students and parents participated in a Bay Ecology and Marine Debris sailing adventure.
The main goal of the 'Tracking Albatross and Tracking Trash' project is to support the City of Benicia's Water Education Pollution Prevention Program, by using albatross as ambassadors to teach about ocean stewardship. This work seeks to increase awareness of the connections between our individual choices in our own communities and marine ecosystems far from home.

Middle school students aboard the sailing vessel Derek M. Baylis. In the future, this sailing expedition will expand to include 6th, 7th, 8th grades and oceanography classes at Benicia High School.

© 2008 Oikonos