Adele Island (23915)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Adele Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -15.5242, Longitude: 123.1583
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 2.7148
Protected area coverage (%): 99.99
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Adele Island is a low, flat, sandy cay about 100 km north-north-east of Cape Leveque, north of Broome in Western Australia. It is 2.9 km by 1.6 km and with a maximum height of 4 m but surrounded by 25 km by 11 km of reefs and sand banks. The island is vegetated sand with a large tidal lagoon and a mast, beacon and weather station. The lowest, most frequently inundated areas support grasslands of Sporobolus virginicus, on which Brown Boobies nest, while slightly elevated soils have a dense cover of Spinifex longifolius, on which Lesser Frigatebirds nest. It has a wet-dry monsoonal climate with short, wet summers and dry autumn, winter and spring.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Adele Island supports large numbers of shorebirds - a total of 24,070 were recorded from 19-24 November 2004. This included high numbers of the following species: Bar-tailed Godwit (4819), Ruddy Turnstone (1250), Greater Sand Plover (2046), Little Tern (1366), Black Noddy (600) and the Masked Booby (694). Nesting birds recorded include the Lesser Frigatebird, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, Eastern Reef Egret, Bridled Tern and Common Noddy (Boyle et al., 2006). Australian Pelican was also recorded nesting (Burbidge et al., 1987) Non-bird biodiversity: Green Turtles have been seen mating off shore and 8 new turtle nest were discovered, they were presumed to be Green Turtle nests (Boyle et al., 2006). Polynesian Rat.
Other site values: Western Australia State Government with management the responsibility of Dept of Environment & Conservation. Apply to DEC for permission.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Monitor the infestation of Polynesian Rats. Patrol to prevent unauthorised landings, especially by Indonesian fishermen, who may introduce exotic species or poach birds. Monitor Silver Gull populations as near-by island populations have increased recently leading to predation threats on nesting seabirds and turtles.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Boyle, A., Swann, G., Willing, T., Gale, T., and Collins, P. (2006). Adele Island Survey Report. Unpublished. Burbidge, A.A., Fuller, P.J., Lane, J.A.K. & Moore, S.A. 1987. Counts of nesting boobies and Lesser Frigate-birds in Western Australia. Emu 87, 128-9. Burbidge, A.A. and McKenzie, N.L. 1978. The islands of the north-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin of Western Australia 7: 1-47. [Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre, Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth, WA.] Coate, K. 1997. Adele Island, Western Australia. Corella 21: 124-128.
Contributors: The nomination was prepared by Andrew Burbidge with consultation with DEC.