Data Zone
Country/territory: French Southern Territories
IBA Criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 2,592,658 ha
Site description
This Marine IBA is identified using tracking data. It falls within the French Southern Territories Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Indian Ocean, FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 25927 km2 and is 915 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 3481 to 4010 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 2.73 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 13.4 and 14.78 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.23 and 0.28 mg/m3.
Key biodiversity
5 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. BirdLife analyses of tracking data estimates that 2-48 individuals of Amsterdam Albatross (CR) from Ile Amsterdam are present at the site during the Incubation (Feb-May), Juvenile (Jan-Aug) and Post-guard (Jun-Jan) life-history stages. 251-456 individuals of Wandering Albatross (VU) from Iles Crozet are present at the site during the Immature (Feb-Oct) life-history stage. 223-514 individuals of Sooty Albatross (EN) from are present at the site during the Juvenile (Apr-May) life-history stage.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Indian Ocean, Western 20 - Marine. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 21/03/2023.
