Edwards Islands (45240)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Edwards Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -73.8659, Longitude: -102.9871
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 1.77969
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Edwards Islands are situated west of the southwestern extremity of Canisteo Peninsula, which projects into the eastern Amundsen Sea between Ferrero and Cranton Bays on the Walgreen Coast, Marie Byrd Land. The island group consists of ~20 small islands, many of which are mainly ice free in summer. Available mapping incorrectly shows many of the islands within the group as merged together. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony present and comprises the larger ice free islands that are part of the Edwards Islands group and the intervening marine area. There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent stations are Rothera (GBR) and San Martín (ARG), ~1420 km to the northeast in Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.
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 58 058 breeding pairs (95% CI: 35 879, 95 740) of Adélie Penguin were present on Edwards Islands as estimated from January 2010 satellite imagery (Lynch & LaRue 2014). The birds breed on the larger ice free islands of the island group. No other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonina) haul out in the area (http://geotracerkitchen.org/ocean2ice/ accessed on 04 Nov 2014).
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: 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