NFWF Grant Profile

Over 97% of the global population of Black-footed Albatrosses nest on low-lying atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and are threatened by sea level rise and increasing storm surge associated with global climate change. Creating new breeding colonies on high islands is one of the most important conservation actions for this species, and this will require translocation. In 2021, we started translocating Black-footed Albatrosses from Midway Atoll to Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, a large, high island located 260 km off the western coast of Baja California, Mexico. The pilot year of the project was successful, with 18 of 21 translocated eggs hatching, 9 of 12 translocated chicks surviving the move, and all 27 of the chicks fledging. In 2022, we propose to expand the project by moving 36 eggs (but not chicks) from Midway to Guadalupe. The albatross that fledge from Guadalupe are expected to return to there in 3-5 years and to begin breeding in 7-9 years.