Article about the albatross

[RainCaster]

There are some really good articles in BBC about nature from time to time. I found another today, about how the albatross is being used to monitor pirate fishing in the southern hemisphere.

As an offshore sailor, I have admire these birds for many years, though I have never encountered one. The strength and size of these birds is amazing.

[3Hotdogs]

1. One made it to New Jersey a couple of years ago.

[Alliepoo]

2. I just looked up a little ingo

On these amazing and beautiful birds. Nat Geo has a little film about a female albatross that was banded in 1956!! They estimate she’s hatched 40 chicks thru the years. They lay 1 egg per year so that beautiful bird has sure done a good job!!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

3. Thanks, RainCaster. Enjoyed the article and associated links.

Abstract found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534704002642
(full article unavailable)

Hunting by humans played a major role in extirpating terrestrial megafauna on several continents and megafaunal loss continues today in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Recent declines of large marine vertebrates that are of little or no commercial value, such as sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals, have focused attention on the ecological impacts of incidental take, or bycatch, in global fisheries. In spite of the recognition of the problem of bycatch, few comprehensive assessments of its effects have been conducted. Many vulnerable species live in pelagic habitats, making surveys logistically complex and expensive. Bycatch data are sparse and our understanding of the demography of the affected populations is often rudimentary. These factors, combined with the large spatial scales that pelagic vertebrates and fishing fleets cover, make accurate and timely bycatch assessments difficult. Here, we review the current research that addresses these challenging questions in the face of uncertainty, analytical limitations and mounting conservation crises.

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Associated links traced from BBC article:

Use of radar detectors to track attendance of albatrosses at fishing vessels
H. Weimerskirch, D.P. Filippi, J. Collet, S.M. Waugh, S.C. Patrick
First published: 09 June 2017

Link: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12965

and.....

ACAP’s Advisory Committee declares a conservation crisis for albatrosses and petrels
Christine Bogle, ACAP Executive Secretary
14 June 2019

Link: https://www.acap.aq/en/latest-news/3324-acap-s-advisory-committee-declares-a-conservation-crisis-for-albatrosses-and-petrels

I, like you, enjoy BBC's extensive library of articles on science, culture and travel.


KY...........

[RainCaster]

4. Thanks KY for the extra links