Princess Ragnhild Coast (45180)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Princess Ragnhild Coast
Central coordinates: Latitude: -69.9484, Longitude: 27.2226
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 3.78943
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Princess Ragnhild Coast lies in Dronning Maud Land, south of the Riiser-Larsen Sea. An Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony has been observed on fast ice that forms within a crack in the ice shelf at Princess Ragnhild Coast ~230 km west of Riiser-Larsen Peninsula. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin colony present and is entirely marine. There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent station is Princess Elisabeth Station (BEL) situated 250 km to the southwest at Utsteinen Nunatak, Sør-Rondane Mountains, Dronning Maud Land.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: Analysis of a satellite image acquired 10 Oct 2009 (Fretwell et al. 2012) indicated that approximately 6870 Emperor Penguins were present at the colony. The colony was recorded for the first time by Fretwell et al. (2012). It was then visited for the first time in December 2012, when ~9000 adults and chicks were counted, and two further visits have subsequently been made in December 2013 (~15 000 adults and chicks) and 2014 (~20 000 adults and chicks) (International Polar Foundation 2015). Other non-breeding bird species observed at the colony include the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki). Non-bird biodiversity: Leopard Seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) have been observed near the colony.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point, truncated at coastline.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known. The site is very remote, difficult to access and rarely visited.
Additional information
References: 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 International Polar Foundation 2015. URL: http://www.antarcticstation.org/news_press/press_release/newly_discovered_emperor_penguin_colony_receives_first_human_visitors Accessed 25 Jan 2015.