Gulf Oil Spill and Bird Monitoring

The video discusses the response to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting the efforts of volunteers and organizations like the National Audubon Society in monitoring bird populations. It emphasizes the importance of data collection in assessing the spill's impact on wildlife. Volunteers, including both experienced and new birders, play a crucial role in identifying and counting birds, contributing to a database that helps scientists understand the long-term effects of the spill on bird health and populations.

What was the initial public reaction to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

• A call to action

• Confusion

• Celebration

• Indifference

Which organization is helping to assess the impact of the oil spill on birds?

• World Wildlife Fund

• Sierra Club

• Greenpeace

• National Audubon Society

Why is it important to track the health and numbers of birds migrating to the Gulf Coast?

• To assess environmental impact

• To increase tourism

• To sell bird-watching equipment

• To create new bird species

What role do volunteers play in the bird monitoring efforts?

• They train scientists

• They fund the research

• They conduct surveys and count birds

• They design bird habitats

What is the significance of long-term data collection in this context?

• To entertain the public

• To predict weather patterns

• To understand the spill's impact over time

• To sell data to companies

How do experienced birders assist new volunteers?

• By providing financial support

• By writing reports

• By identifying bird species

• By organizing social events

What was observed about the health of birds in the surveyed area?

• They were extinct

• They had migrated elsewhere

• They seemed healthy

• They were all sick

What is the benefit of having birders of all experience levels involved?

• It reduces the workload for scientists

• It increases the number of eyes observing

• It creates competition among birders

• It limits the data collected

Where is the collected bird data stored?

• At ebird.org

• In a local library

• In a private database

• In a government archive

What is the ultimate goal of collecting new data on birds?

• To sell it to bird enthusiasts

• To determine the oil's long-term effects

• To create a new bird species

• To entertain the public