Data Zone
Country/territory: Antarctica
IBA criteria met: A1, A4ii (2012)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 3,144,974 ha
Site description (2012 baseline)
This Marine IBA is identified using tracking data. It falls within the Antarctica Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Indian Ocean, FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 31450 km2 and is 154 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 0 to 4026 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 2.66 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 0.04 and 0.71 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.13 and 3.68 mg/m3.
Key biodiversity
1 species triggers IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. BirdLife analyses of tracking data estimates that 43875-125342 individuals of White-chinned Petrel (VU) from Iles Kerguelen are present at the site during the Breeding (Oct-May) life-history stage.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Indian Ocean, Antarctic and Southern 38 - Marine (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/indian-ocean-antarctic-and-southern-38--marine-iba-antarctica on 22/11/2024.