Stellwagen Bank
Photo: Peter Flood
Great Shearwater
Seabirds like the great shearwater travel to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to feed on fish. Because they spend most of their time above water, seabirds are easier to track than other marine animals. Researchers use satellite technology to track great shearwaters and learn more about them and the health of the sanctuary ecosystem.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ardenna gravis
DIET: Fish and squid
WINGSPAN: Average 3 feet
OLDEST KNOWN OSPREY: 25 years
CLUTCH SIZE: 1 egg
THREATS: Bycatch, ingesting plastic, pollution, and climate change
STATUS: Protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
FUN FACT: Each fall, great shearwaters migrate more than 10,000 miles from the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic.