Ambush Bay, Joinville Island (45172)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Ambush Bay, Joinville Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -63.1877, Longitude: -55.3959
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 0.56163
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Ambush Bay is situated on the northern coast of Joinville Island, southeast of King Point. It is ~ 6 km long and 4 km wide. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises all of the ice free ground on the eastern side of the bay. The summer-only station Petrel (ARG) is located 54 km to the southwest on Dundee Island and the year-round station Esperanza (ARG) and summer only station Elichiribehety (URY) is situated 86 km to the southwest in Hope Bay
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 17 621 breeding pairs (95% CI: 10 630, 28 934) of Adélie Penguin were present at the eastern coast of Ambush Bay as estimated from December 2011 satellite imagery (Lynch & LaRue 2014). The penguins breed along the beach on the ice free ground. A breeding colony was reported here in 1978, although no census was made (Elliott et al. 1978). No other birds are known to breed in the area. 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: None known.
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