Final answer:
The idiom 'Albatross Around One's Neck' refers to a significant burden or responsibility. Derived from Coleridge's poem, it symbolizes guilt or a problem impeding progress. Albatrosses themselves are at risk due to environmental threats and their unique breeding habits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase Albatross Around One's Neck is a metaphorical idiom that refers to a heavy burden of guilt or an onerous responsibility that becomes a barrier to success or happiness. The expression originates from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, where the mariner kills an albatross and is forced to wear its carcass around his neck as a punishment and a reminder of his mistake. In the context of the albatross species, they are under threat due to a range of factors, such as longline fishing practices that can lead to their accidental death, and global warming affecting their natural habitats. Albatrosses also face risks due to their late age of breeding and low reproduction rate, which make their populations susceptible to decline.