Franklin Island southwest (45232)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Franklin Island southwest
Central coordinates: Latitude: -76.1048, Longitude: 168.2815
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 300
Area of KBA (km2): 1.28588
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Franklin Island is located in the southern Ross Sea ~150 km east of the Victoria Land coast and ~140 km north of Ross Island. The 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). The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki) colonies that breed on a relatively flat point on the southwestern coast of Franklin Island. The nearest permanent scientific stations are Scott Base (NZL) and McMurdo (USA), 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 that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Approximately 60 540 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin were present each season from 1981 – 2012 (Lyver et al. 2014). South Polar Skuas breed at the southern end of Franklin Island, with ~184 breeding pairs observed in 1982 (Ainley et al. 1986). Their exact breeding location is not known, however it has been assumed that breeding is mostly in close proximity of the Adélie Penguin colony. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point, truncated at coastline and permanent ice.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: See IBA Bernacchi Head, Franklin Island for information on tourist visits to Franklin Island.
Additional information
References: Ainley, D.G., Morrell, S.H. & Wood, R.C. 1986. South Polar Skua breeding colonies in the Ross Sea region. Notornis 33: 155-163. 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 Lyver, P.O'B., Barron, M., Barton, K.J., Ainley, D.G., Pollard, A., Gordon, S., McNeill, S., Ballard, G. & Wilson, P.R. 2014. Trends in the breeding population of Adélie Penguins in the Ross Sea, 1981–2012: a coincidence of climate and resource extraction effects. PLoS ONE 9(3): e91188. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091188