Maher Island (45236)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Maher Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -73.1958, Longitude: -127.0477
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 0.506571
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Maher Island lies ~10 km north of the northwestern coast of Siple Island, Marie Byrd Land. The island is shaped like a horseshoe, ~1 km across, and is mostly ice free in summer. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises all of Maher Island. There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent stations are McMurdo Station (USA) and Scott Base (NZL), located ~1770 km to the southwest in the southern Ross Sea.
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 10 111 breeding pairs (95% CI: 5993, 16 618) of Adélie Penguin were present on Maher Island as estimated from February 2011 satellite imagery (Lynch & LaRue 2014). No other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: Island coastline where island is ≤ 5 km2.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: 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