Although the rain continued on Midway, our day was filled with the emotion and inspiration that can only be found here. Tragedy befalls the albatross, but they endure, and we are inspired as Moli, theContinue reading
Category: marine studies
Day Eleven (1/23/08) – Mapping Our Adventures at Midway
A map that illustrates some of the highlights of our adventures out here at Midway. Included are the locations of where we encountered spinner dolphins in the lagoon, where we sighted sleepy monk seals onContinue reading
Day Eleven (1/23/08) – Republic of the Birds
I’ve been to a number of places where wild animals are trusting of humans, but perhaps none so unlikely as Midway Atoll. After more than a century of abuse at the hands of man —Continue reading
Day Ten (1/22/08) Exploring the Remote and Rugged Eastern Island
After a rainy start, we headed to Sand Island’s rugged neighbor, Eastern Island, where we saw many rare seabirds who amazed and intrigued us. We are looking for help in naming our hatching albatross chick.Continue reading
Day Nine (1/21/08) – More on Debris: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
My heart is breaking as I survey the amount of marine debris piling up on Midway. Please post your thoughts: What do you think should be done to decrease the amount of marine debris thatContinue reading
Day Eight (1/20/08) – Banding Laysan Albatross
After a lazy morning, we spent the early afternoon learning about the wonders of and surprising threats to the three species of albatross on Midway. Then, after practicing banding, we biked to Charlie Barracks whereContinue reading
Day Seven (1/19/08) – Swimming Among the Coral Brings up Conservation Questions
As we snorkeled on the north side of Midway atoll, we saw a huge difference in the amount of coral and the size of the fish compared to what we observed on our previous snorkelingContinue reading
Day Seven (1/19/08) – Conservation Inspiration on Midway
John Klavitter of the USFWS and his collaborators are running some amazing conservation programs for seabirds on Midway. Their successes are inspirational and provide hope for anyone working to conserve small populations of endangered animals.Continue reading
Day Six (1/18/08) – Paradise is Trashed: What Can We Do to Change This?
After a morning in the lagoon watching spinner dolphins, we combed two restricted beaches to pick up trash – plastics, light bulbs, toothbrushes – to help minimize its impact on the wildlife. It is stunningContinue reading
Day Five (1/17/08) – Getting Oriented to the Middle of Nowhere
We learned about the military and historical significance of Midway and how such a tiny speck in the ocean plays a huge role in preserving threatened bird species. To orient us to Midway, today wasContinue reading