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Winged Ambassadors

What connects California and Hawaiʻi? Seabirds! Some species of albatross travel between the food rich-waters of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the perfect breeding climate of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. As they traverse vast oceanic regions searching for floating food, many albatrosses ingest plastic trash, which can harm or even kill them. The Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy through the Eyes of Albatross curriculum teaches students to use real data to track albatross travels and to identify human-caused threats such as ocean plastic pollution, and how to reduce these threats. This curriculum was created in partnership with Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge.

Items that can be found in a bolus
Items that can be found in a bolus. Photo: David Liittschwager
person cleaning up marine debris on a beach surrounded by Laysan albatross chicks
NOAA Marine Debris team cleaning a beach in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Photo: Ryan Tabata/NOAA
A mass of indigestible material, known as a bolus, from an albatross chick
A mass of indigestible material, known as a bolus, from an albatross chick. Photo: David Liittschwager
Students and sanctuary staff dissecting bolus
Students and sanctuary staff dissecting bolus. Photo: Gina Schilling

Laysan albatross breed in Hawaiʻi, but return to the rich waters of California to feed. Photos: Daniel Dietrich

close up of a black footed albatross's beak

Black-footed albatross breed in Hawaiʻi, but return to the rich waters of California to feed. Photos: Daniel Dietrich