Brash Island, Danger Islands (45173)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Brash Island, Danger Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -63.3857, Longitude: -54.9083
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 250
Area of KBA (km2): 0.56919
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Danger Islands lie ~19 km southeast of Joinville Island, in the Erebus and Terror Gulf. Brash Island is ice-free and of low elevation, is around 1 km in length, and is the most westerly of the Danger Islands. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Pygoscelid penguin colony present and the concentration of seabirds. 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 east 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: A large number of Pygoscelid penguins are likely to breed on Brash Island. Lynch & Schwaller (2014) identified from satellite imagery a large penguin colony on Brash Island and estimated ~166 078 breeding pairs (95% CI 123 666, 228 268). The penguin species present has yet to be determined, although it is likely to be predominantly either Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) or Chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) penguin. Other birds thought to breed at Danger Islands 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: None known.
Delineation rationale: Island coastline where island is ≤ 5 km2.
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: 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.