The Albatrosses and a Killer Whale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Albatrosses and a Killer Whale - Essay Example Changes caused to the marine environment due to natural as well as human reasons, as stated by Safina, have made the albatrosses vulnerable (qtd. in Sakamoto et al. 1). As mentioned by Croxall and Brooke, in recent times, studies have been carried out about the diet and foraging habits of these birds. However, little is known about how albatrosses actually locate their prey in the open ocean (qtd. in Sakamoto et al. 1). Previous studies found it difficult to follow individual birds, and thus could not find out all about the foraging activities employed by them. This particular study is mainly aimed at examining how albatrosses find their prey, as well as how they deal with and respond to their environment while on their foraging trips in the Southern Ocean (Sakamoto et al. 1). Four black-browed albatrosses were captured at their nest sites in Bird Island, Southern Georgia for the purpose of this study, and still cameras were attached to their backs. Three of the four birds were recaptured and the instruments retrieved. The fourth bird could not be recaptured. The camera was equipped with depth and temperature sensors. After the recovery of the instruments, the data captured, which included image, depth and temperature, were downloaded to a PC. The environment around the study birds was studied. Other animals or birds which appeared in the images were also scrutinized. Depth data were analyzed with a behavior analysis program.