Danger Islands (29487)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Danger Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -63.4182, Longitude: -54.6610
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 250
Area of KBA (km2): 30.17303
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Danger Islands lie ~19 km southeast of Joinville Island, in the Erebus and Terror Gulf. The site comprises several small islands which are largely ice-free. The Danger Islands lie ~50 km northeast of IBAs Eden Rocks and Paulet Island. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies present and the concentration of seabirds, and includes all of the islands in the eastern part of the Danger Islands group and the intervening marine area. 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 ~70 km to the west on Dundee Island.
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: A large number of Adélie Penguins breed in the Danger Islands group, with between 285 115 and 305 165 Adélie Penguin nests estimated in 1996 (Naveen & Lynch 2011). Breeding occurs on slopes and ridges across most of the islands in the group (Elliott et al . 1978; Naveen & Lynch 2011; Lynch & LaRue 2014; Lynch & Schwaller 2014). Brash and Earle islands possess breeding colonies of Pygoscelid penguins of sufficient size and distance from each other and the other islands to warrant qualification as IBAs in their own right, and these are described in IBA Brash Island, Danger Islands and IBA Earle Island, Danger Islands. Numbers of breeding pairs of Pygoscelid penguins on the remaining islands were estimated by Lynch & LaRue (2014) and Lynch & Schwaller (2014) (Table 062.1). Other birds thought to breed at the site include the Cape Petrel ( Daption capense ), Snowy Sheathbill ( Chionis albus ), Kelp Gull ( Larus dominicanus ), Brown Skua ( Catharacta antarctica ), Wilson's Storm-petrel ( Oceanites oceanicus ) and Antarctic Tern ( Sterna vittata ). Occasional visitors include Chinstrap Penguin ( Pygoscelis antarctica ), Southern Giant Petrel ( Macronectes giganteus ), Snow Petrel ( Pagodroma nivea ), Imperial Shag ( Phalacrocorax [ atriceps ] bransfieldensis ) and South Polar Skua ( Catharacta maccormicki ) (Naveen & Lynch 2011). Non-bird biodiversity: Antarctic Fur Seals (Arctocephalus gazella) have been observed hauled out at Heroína Island (Naveen & Lynch 2011).
Delineation rationale: Shortest perimeter around islands and/or ice-free areas >5km2.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Only a small number of tour vessels appear to frequent the Danger Islands, with an annual average of 237 visitors (passengers, staff and crew) to Heroína Island (IAATO Tourism Statistics 2005-10, accessed: 06/08/2010).
Additional information
References: Elliott, D.H., Watts, D.R., Alley, R.B. & Gracanin, T.M. 1978. Bird and seal observations at Joinville Island and offshore islands. Antarctic Journal of the United States 13: 154-55. Lynch, H.J. & LaRue, M.A. 2014. First global census of the Adélie Penguin. The Auk 131(4): 457-66. doi:10.1642/AUK-14-31.1 Lynch, H.J. & Schwaller, M.R. 2014. Mapping the abundance and distribution of Adélie Penguins using Landsat-7 : first steps towards an integrated multi-sensor pipeline for tracking populations at the continental scale. PLoS ONE 9(11): 5-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113301 Naveen, R. & Lynch, H. 2011. Compendium of Antarctic Peninsula visitor sites (3rd edition): A Report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Oceanites, Chevy Chase, MD.