• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2012 baseline)
This Marine IBA is identified using tracking data. It falls within High Seas International Waters and the Indian Ocean, FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 141350 km2 and is 891 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 3655 to 5508 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 2.51 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 15.94 and 18.29 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.14 and 0.27 mg/m3.

Key biodiversity
3 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. BirdLife analyses of tracking data estimates that 5-7 individuals of Amsterdam Albatross (CR) from Ile Amsterdam are present at the site during the Juvenile (Jan-Aug) life-history stage. 278-642 individuals of Wandering Albatross (VU) from Iles Crozet are present at the site during the Juvenile (Dec-Jun) life-history stage. 4501-5249 individuals of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (EN) from Ile Amsterdam are present at the site during the Incubation (Sep-Nov) life-history stage.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Indian Ocean, Western 12 - Marine. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/indian-ocean-western-12--marine-iba-high-seas on 11/12/2023.