Gardner Island (45193)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Gardner Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -68.5781, Longitude: 77.8707
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 50
Area of KBA (km2): 0.50982
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Gardner Island lies ~3 km west of Broad Peninsula, southern Vestfold Hills, on the Ingrid Christensen Coast, in Prydz Bay, Princess Elizabeth Land. The island is largely ice free, ~ 1.2 km by 0.5 km, and rises to ~47 m. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony present and comprises all of Gardner Island. The nearest permanent station is Davis (AUS), ~3 km to the east on Broad Peninsula, Vestfold Hills.
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 27 105 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin were present at Gardner Island as estimated from February 2012 satellite imagery (unpublished data H. Lynch & M. LaRue pers. comm. 2014: CI not available). In 1981/82 the colony size was estimated at 22 180 breeding pairs (Whitehead & Johnstone 1990). Nests are widely distributed over the island. Lynch & LaRue (2014) grouped records of Adélie Penguins present on Gardner Island IBA with the unnamed island in Donskiye Islands IBA, Warriner Island IBA and Lugg, Magnetic and Turner Islands IBA, and referred to these as ‘Vestfold South'. Snow Petrel ( Pagodroma nivea ) breeding is confirmed on Gardner Island (Australian Antarctic Data Centre 2012). Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: Island coastline where island is ≤ 5 km2.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Gardner Island lies close to Davis Station and local operational activities could pose potential concerns for conservation of wildlife. In particular, oil spills and aircraft operations represent potential risks to local breeding birdlife. Davis Station has comprehensive procedures in place to manage and minimise these risks (see e.g. Australian Antarctic Data Centre 2012), and station management are cognisant of locally sensitive wildlife, so risks are considered low.
Additional information
References: Australian Antarctic Data Centre. 2012. Vestfold Hills Map 4 of 5, Scale 1: 50000. Edition 6. Catalogue ID 13982. 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 Whitehead, M.D. & Johnstone, G. W. 1990. The distribution and estimated abundance of Adélie Penguins breeding in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. NIPR Symposium Polar Biology: 91-98.