D’Urville Monument, Joinville Island (29454)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: D’Urville Monument, Joinville Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -63.4226, Longitude: -56.2974
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 500
Area of KBA (km2): 1.20358
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: D'Urville Monument is a small ice-free area (127 ha) at southwest Joinville Island, on the northern shore of Active Sound and facing Petrel Cove. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)) and covers the ice-free area at the site. The nearest permanent scientific station is Petrel (ARG), a summer-only facility for up to ~55 people (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 06/08/2010) located ~6 km to the southwest on Dundee Island.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Approximately 10 000 pairs of Adélie Penguin and over 670 pairs of Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) breed at D'Urville Monument (Lynch et al. 2008). Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: If ice-free area is ≤ 5 km2 then ice-free area is used as boundary.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Naveen (2003) reported D'Urville Monument was rarely visited at that time. There are no known conservation issues.
Additional information
References: Lynch, H., Naveen, R. & Fagan, W. 2008. Censuses of Penguin, Blue-eyed Shag Phalacrocorax atriceps and Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus populations on the Antarctic Peninsula, 2001-2007. Marine Ornithology 36: 83-97. Naveen, R. 2003. Compendium of Antarctic Peninsula visitor sites (2nd edition): A Report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Oceanites, Chevy Chase, MD.