Magnetic Island and nearby islands (45194)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Magnetic Island and nearby islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -68.5441, Longitude: 77.9256
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 60
Area of KBA (km2): 3.84061
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Magnetic Island, Turner Island and Lugg Island are situated amongst a group of small islands lying close offshore from the southern Vestfold Hills, in Prydz Bay on the Ingrid Christensen Coast, Princess Elizabeth Land. Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breed on Magnetic, Turner and Lugg islands, which are up to ~0.5 km across. All of the islands are mostly ice free in summer. Turner Island rises up to ~40 m and Magnetic Island up to ~58 m. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin colonies present. The IBA comprises Turner, Magnetic, Waterhouse, Lugg, Boyd and Bluff islands and the intervening islands and marine area. The nearest permanent station is Davis (AUS), ~4 km to the southeast 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: Whitehead & Johnstone (1990) estimated 17 184, 16 964, and 5553 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin on Magnetic, Lugg and Turner islands, respectively, in 1981/82. As estimated from February 2012 satellite imagery, approximately 14 840, 9392, and 4791 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin were present on Magnetic, Lugg and Turner islands, respectively (unpublished data H. Lynch & M. LaRue pers. comm. 2014: CI not available). While the numbers estimated on Magnetic and Turner islands seem comparable to those counted in 1981/82 (Whitehead & Johnstone 1990), the presence of almost half the number of breeding pairs on Lugg Island seems anomalous, although the cause of the difference is unknown. Breeding on Magnetic Island occurs on a flat peninsula protruding on the western side of the island and along the central ridge and northwestern slopes. Breeding extends across most of Lugg Island, while breeding occurs mainly in the central part of Turner Island. Lynch & LaRue (2014) grouped records of Adélie Penguins present on Lugg, Magnetic and Turner Islands IBA with Gardner Island IBA, Warriner Island IBA and the unnamed island in Donskiye Islands IBA, and referred to these as ‘Vestfold South'. Approximately 150 breeding pairs of Cape Petrel (Daption capense) were recorded on Bluff Island, 40 pairs on Turner Island and 35 pairs on Magnetic Island in 1990 (Hodum unpublished; cited in Hodum et al. 2004). Snow Petrels (Pagodroma nivea) breed on Turner, Lugg and several of the unnamed smaller islands in the group (Australian Antarctic Data Centre 2012). Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: Shortest perimeter around island groups and/or ice-free areas ≤ 5 km2, including marine areas as appropriate.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Magnetic Island and nearby islands lie 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 2 of 5, Scale 1: 50 000. Edition 6. Catalogue ID 13980. Hodum, P., Croxall, J.P., Poncet, S. & Woehler, E. 2004. Breeding distribution of the Cape Petrel Daption capense. Unpublished draft manuscript. 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 on Polar Biology: 91-98.