Dibble Glacier (45204)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Dibble Glacier
Central coordinates: Latitude: -66.0100, Longitude: 134.7900
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 4.825
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Dibble Glacier flows from the continental ice sheet into Davis Bay on the Wilkes Coast, Terre Adélie. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony present on fast ice ~5 km from the northeastern margin of the Dibble Glacier, and the site is entirely marine. There are no research stations nearby, and the closest permanent station is Dumont d'Urville (FRA), ~250 km to the east at Pointe Géologie.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Analysis of a satellite image acquired on 12 October 2009 (Fretwell et al. 2012) indicated that approximately 12 476 Emperor Penguins were present at the colony. This colony was recorded for the first time by Fretwell et al. (2012). No other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
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