At Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the world’s largest albatross colony continues to thrive. This winter’s annual nest count revealed nearly 620,000 Laysan albatross (mōlī) nests and just over 25,000 black-footed albatross (ka’upu) nests—an impressive total made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers.

For over 30 years, a dozen volunteers have traveled to the remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean each winter to count every nest by hand. The process requires weeks of walking in precise, repeated grid patterns across the landscape to ensure accurate tracking of these important seabird populations.

This year’s count marked a nearly 25% increase in mōlī nests from the previous season, while ka’upu nests saw a 9% decrease. Scientists note that these fluctuations are common and often alternate year to year, though the reasons behind the pattern remain a mystery.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Dan Rapp