Indian Ocean, Western 1 - Marine


Site description (2012 baseline):

Site location and context
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 122990 km2 and is 475 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 2845 to 6074 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 2.67 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 12.13 and 19.98 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.22 and 0.57 mg/m3.

Key biodiversity
6 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. BirdLife analyses of tracking data estimates that 23-26 individuals of Amsterdam Albatross (CR) from Ile Amsterdam are present at the site during the Non-breeding (Apr-Nov) life-history stage. 555-584 individuals of Wandering Albatross (VU) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Post-guard (Apr-Dec) life-history stage. 599-899 individuals of Wandering Albatross (VU) from South Georgia are present at the site during the Juvenile (Jun-Oct) life-history stage. 540-2700 individuals of Sooty Albatross (EN) from Iles Crozet are present at the site during the Incubation (Oct-Dec) and Non-breeding (Year-Round) life-history stages. 981-1570 individuals of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (EN) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Post-guard (Jan-Apr) life-history stage.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Indian Ocean, Western 1 - Marine (High Seas). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/indian-ocean-western-1--marine-iba-high-seas on 22/12/2024.