Suggested Materials:

Basic Dissection Instructions:

1. Record species information, collection year and location from information written on envelope:

For example: LAAL, 2012, Kure = Laysan Albatross bolus collected from Kure Atoll in 2012

Or BFAL, 2019, Tern Island = Black-footed albatross bolus collected from Tern Island (French Frigate Shoals) in 2019

(some envelopes may have more details, but this is all you need)

2. Unwrap the bolus and take picture of whole bolus before pulling it apart. Weigh complete bolus.

3. Carefully pull bolus apart and separate items by category (see datasheet). Remove items like rocks or sand, which were collected from the island and not ingested by the albatross.

4. Weigh all natural items and non-natural items separately (2 categories). For more detailed labs, weigh by item category (i.e. hard plastic, foam, line, squid beaks, seeds/nuts, etc weighed separately). Record data on datasheet.

5. Optional, count all items in each category (tally counters help with this). Dimensional measurements also optional.

6. Take pictures of the dissected bolus, including of interesting items or things that are not on the ID guide but want to identify.

7. Carefully put the dry bolus items back into envelopes or plastic bags, keeping the individual boluses separate. Boluses can be reused for several years. Store boluses in airtight containers in a dry cool location with a desiccant to prevent mold.

8. Upload data from the spreadsheet and photos into the submission portal on the bolus website

9. Educators, please fill out the bolus reporting form following your activity to let us know how it went!

Use this compatible form to Collect data on paper
during dissection activity

PDF version:

Excel Version: