Satellite Tracking of Albatross Foraging and Dispersal in the North Pacific, 1998-1999

25 albatrosses (9 Black-footed and 16 Laysan) were tracked via satellite telemetry from Tern Island during the 1998 and 1999 breeding seasons. The dataset, from SCIOPS via NASA EarthData, captures foraging trips to continental shelves and a 1999 dispersal event following widespread breeding failure. Tracking data from 1998 (central-place foraging) and 1999 (post-failure dispersal) should be considered separately.

Use Cases

• Modeling albatross foraging range and habitat use based on satellite telemetry tracks.
• Analyzing differences in foraging strategy between Black-footed and Laysan albatross species.
• Studying the behavioral response of seabirds to breeding failure based on the 1999 dispersal event.
• Mapping marine animal movement corridors in the North Pacific Ocean.

Strengths

• Tracks 25 individual birds across two species, providing comparative behavioral data.
• Captures a distinct behavioral shift from central-place foraging to wide dispersal in 1999.
• Covers a broad geographic range from the Hawaiian Islands to the North American west coast and Gulf of Alaska.

Limitations

• Last updated 1999-06-10 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS via NASA EarthData (nasa_earthdata).

Collection Method

Satellite telemetry tracking.

Time Range

1998 and 1999 breeding seasons (January - June).

Freshness

Last updated 1999-06-10 23:59:59.999000.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, centered on Tern Island (Northwest Hawaiian Islands), with trips to North American west coast and Gulf of Alaska.