Cape Darnley (30115)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Cape Darnley
Central coordinates: Latitude: -67.8848, Longitude: 69.7067
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 4.39917
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Cape Darnley lies at the northern extremity of Bjerkø Peninsula, on the Lars Christensen Coast, Mac.Robertson Land. The Bjerkø Peninsula is fully covered by a permanent ice cap, from which icebergs calve into western Prydz Bay. Fast ice persists along the coast where icebergs can become grounded, providing a stable platform where Emperor Penguins may breed. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony present, is entirely marine and is situated on fast ice ~20 km southeast of Cape Darnley and ~80 km northwest of the Amery Ice Shelf. There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent station is Mawson Station (AUS), ~290 km to the west on the Mawson Coast.
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: An Emperor Penguin colony was first seen at Cape Darnley from an aircraft in August 1958; ~5000 penguins were estimated to be present (Willing 1958). Fretwell et al. (2012) estimated 3465 Emperor Penguins were present in 2009 based on satellite image analysis. However, B. Wienecke (pers. comm. Dec 2014) reported ~8000 chicks present based on a more detailed photographic survey carried out in December 2013, which suggests that the Fretwell et al. (2012) result for 2009 may have been an underestimate. No other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point, truncated at coastline.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known. Between 2004-14 one tourist visit was made to the Cape Darnley area, in 2011/12 when 108 visitors landed (IAATO Tourism Statistics, accessed: 18/12/2014). The site is very remote and rarely visited.
Additional information
References: Budd, G.M. 1961. The biotopes of emperor penguin rookeries. Emu 61: 171-89. Fretwell, P.T., LaRue, M.A., Morin P., Kooyman, G.L., Wienecke, B., Ratcliffe, N., Fox, A.J., Fleming, A.H., Porter, C. & Trathan, P.N. 2012. An Emperor Penguin population estimate: The first global, synoptic survey of a species from space. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33751. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033751 Willing R.L. 1958. Australian discoveries of Emperor Penguin rookeries in Antarctica during 1954-1957. Nature 182: 1393-94.