TOPP Albatrosses 2002-06

Original provider: Scott Shaffer Dataset credits: Scott Shaffer, Michelle Kappes, Bill Henry, Yann Tremblay, Melinda Conners, Dan Costa, and the TOPP program Abstract: Laysan (<i>Phoebastria immutabilis</i>) and black-footed (<i>P. nigripes</i>) albatrosses were studied using Microwave Pico-100 and Wildlife Computers SPOT 4 satellite transmitters. Birds were studied at Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Northwest Hawaiian Islands (23.872 N, 166.272 W) from December 2002 to March 2009. The primary tracking period covers the incubation and chick-brooding phases during each year. In nearly all cases, albatrosses were equipped with a tag for a single trip to sea. Trip durations range from 1-32 days in duration and some albatrosses traveled over 15,000 km in a single trip.