Lesson 1: Introduction to Seabirds

Black-Footed Albatross Ambassador Species Laysan Albatross mōlī Black-Footed Albatross kaʻupu This lesson will focus on these two species, which spend their time traversing the Pacific Ocean (common English and Hawaiian names).

Black-footed Albatross Laysan Albatross Birds, like the Black-footed Albatross, that spend most of their lives at sea are known as seabirds. Discuss with students what it must be like for these animals, which spend the large majority of their lives at sea.

What is your ‘wingspan’? Art at the Royal Albatross Visitors Center in Dunedin, New Zealand. North Pacific Albatrosses are relatively small compared to albatrosses in the southern hemisphere around New Zealand. For example the Wandering and Royal albatross have wingspans over 11 feet!

Explore Wingspan Activity

Nesting Hawaiian Albatross Video “Nesting Hawaiian Albatross” includes chicks exercising their wings and practicing flying provided for download or online viewing: http://www.DownloadWingedAmbassadors.org Students will also enjoy a video clip with music from Chris Jordan’s Midway Journey film – Enter the Heroes: http://vimeo.com/groups/120490/videos/36745838

Microbes Are the Most Abundant Organisms in the Ocean Diatoms Cyanobacteria Phytoplankton, including these diatoms and cyanobacteria, convert the sun’s energy into sugars through the process of photosynthesis. This energy is transferred through the food chain.

Albatross Food Chain This is a sample food chain (a simplified food “web”) for albatross. Image credits: Phytoplankton: NOAA MESA Project, Zooplankton: NOAA/D.Forcucci; NOAA Central Library/Charleston Bump Expedition 2003. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration; Dr. George Sedberry, South Carolina DNR, Principal Investigator, Fish: NOAA, NEFSC, Squid: NOAA/MBARI 2006, Albatross: NOAA Corps/Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo

Zooplankton A close up of a single krill, a small pelagic crustacean related to lobsters and crabs. This group of zooplankton make up a critical link in the food chain of many ecosystems.

Adaptations - Albatross Belong to a Group of Seabirds Called “Tubenoses” Other tubenoses in the order Procellariiformes – Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters, and Storm-petrels.

Adaptations – Salt Glands A special gland allows this taxa of seabirds to drink seawater and release excess salt. Laysan Albatross chick. Close up of its nostril openings and grooves where water and salt flow out. Albatross chicks can be very curious and often approach people and cameras. However, like most wild animals, albatross chicks do not like to be touched or handled.

Adaptations - Wide Gape Adaptations: Albatross feed almost exclusively from the ocean surface because they can only dive underwater a few feet. They eat primarily fish, fish eggs, and squid. Their wide gape allows them to eat larger items than you might think possible.

Adaptations – Webbed Feet Webbed feet are well-suited for life at sea.

Adaptations – Dynamic Soaring Illustration from WHOI Graphic Services, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sailors of the Air Albatross can travel long distances without flapping their wings They take advantage of wind generated just above the waves that allows them to rise quickly to 10 meters above the ocean. Then they glide downwind and enter another wave to rise again. This technique is known as dynamic soaring. Illustration from WHOI Graphic Services, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Life Cycle and Adaptations Explain Life Cycle and Adaptations

Nesting sites in the middle of the Pacific This is a map of the Hawaiian Islands. The green islands are the Main Hawaiian Islands. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a series of atolls, sandy islands formed around coral reefs. The black line is the border of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument established to protect the ecosystems and cultural heritage. Learn how to pronounce here: http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/about/pronounce.mp3

Ocean Wanderers Explain to students that these black dots represent the locations of 47 Black-footed Albatross tracked by satellites during summers. In Lesson 2, students will learn more about satellite tracking and mapping the routes of real albatross.

Where do they go? The different color “spaghetti tracks” show the paths of 13 individual albatross that started from three locations: Kure Atoll, Tern Island, and Cordell Bank. These birds were tracked for only 3 months of their lives in the summer time. Satellite transmitters fall off when birds molt, or stop working for other reasons. Imagine if scientists could follow them for an entire year!

Zubenelgenubi That is 5,355 miles in 2 months! A Black-footed Albatross, named after a bright star called Zubenelgenubi, flew all the way across the Pacific Ocean in less than 2 months – from California to Japan.