Blue Glacier to Cape Chocolate (30109)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Blue Glacier to Cape Chocolate
Central coordinates: Latitude: -77.8917, Longitude: 164.5051
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 12.06142
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Blue Glacier is situated between the Ferrar and Koettlitz glaciers, McMurdo Dry Valleys, southern Victoria Land. Blue Glacier flows into McMurdo Sound ~10 km north of Cape Chocolate. Ice free ground extending along the coast to the south of the glacier forms part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and lies within Antarctic Specially Managed Area No.2. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki) colony that breeds on the ice free ground extending ~10 km southward along the coast from Blue Glacier towards Cape Chocolate. The IBA boundary is uncertain because the exact extent of the breeding area included within the count is not known. The nearest permanent scientific stations are Scott Base (NZL) and McMurdo (USA) situated ~50 km to the east on Hut Point Peninsula, Ross 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: Approximately ~226 breeding pairs of South Polar Skuas were estimated as breeding along the coast extending southward from Blue Glacier in 1981 (Ainley et al. 1986). No recent information on the colony is available, and no other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: boundary uncertain as exact extent of breeding area included in count unknown.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: Ainley, D.G., Morrell, S.H. & Wood, R.C. 1986. South Polar Skua breeding colonies in the Ross Sea region. Notornis 33: 155-63.