Bernacchi Head, Franklin Island (45231)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Bernacchi Head, Franklin Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -76.1283, Longitude: 168.3429
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 4.18543
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Bernacchi Head lies at the south of Franklin Island, located in the southern Ross Sea ~150 km east of the Victoria Land coast and ~140 km north of Ross Island. Franklin Island is of volcanic origin and mostly covered by permanent ice, and is ~12 km long and up to ~5 km wide. Cliffs rise up to 200 m high along the northern, eastern and southwestern coasts (Brodie 1959). A colony of Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) breeds on sea ice that forms close off the eastern coast of Bernacchi Head. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin colony present and is entirely marine. The nearest permanent scientific stations are McMurdo (USA) and Scott Base (NZL), situated ~200 km to the southwest on Hut Point Peninsula, Ross Island.
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: The population of Emperor Penguins ranged from ~1500 – ~5000 breeding pairs in the period 1983 – 2005 (Barber-Meyer et al. 2007, 2008). Analysis of a satellite image acquired 13 Oct 2009 (Fretwell et al. 2012) indicated that approximately 7561 Emperor Penguins were present at the colony. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point, truncated at coastline.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A small number of tourists visit Franklin Island by ship. Over 5 seasons from 2009–14 an average of 147 tourists and guides visited the island per year. Most visitors landed, except in 2012/13 when only 56 of the total of 132 visitors landed (IAATO Tourism Statistics, accessed: 15/12/2014).
Additional information
References: Barber-Meyer, S.M., Kooyman, G.L. & Ponganis, P.J. 2007. Estimating the relative abundance of Emperor Penguins at inaccessible colonies using satellite imagery. Polar Biology 30: 1565-70. Barber-Meyer, S.M., Kooyman, G.L. & Ponganis, P.J. 2008. Trends in western Ross Sea Emperor Penguin chick abundances and their relationships to climate. Antarctic Science 20(1): 3-11. doi:10.1017/S0954102007000673 Brodie, J.W. 1959. A shallow shelf around Franklin Island in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 2(1): 108-19. doi:10.1080/00288306.1959.10431316 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