Now GIS technology takes flight to help save the albatross

Birdlife International is using a geographic information system from ArcGIS to map the journeys being taken by albatrosses, as part of its Save the Albatross campaign.

Monitoring and tracking the journeys taken by these birds is crucial to the conservation organisation's work to save the birds from the threat of extinction. The albatross family is one of the most endangered in the world, with 19 of 21 species under threat.

The main hazard faced to many species is the fishing lines laid by long-line fishing fleets.

The largest of the species, the wandering albatross, may travel up to 6,000 miles on a single trip, which makes the use of GIS technology crucial for understanding where birds are most at risk.

ArcGIS software is being used to validate, process and map the remote tracking data from satellite tag and geolocator devices on the birds.