Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Inexpressible Island, Victoria Land, is situated in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea. The island is bounded in the east by Hells Gate and Evans Cove, and in the west by the Nansen Ice Sheet
The eastern side of the island is relatively flat with a few low hills, while a ridge of ~110 m elevation runs along the western flank. Several lakes are present (PRIC & Tongji University 2014).
The IBA qualifies on the basis of the South Polar Skua (
Catharacta maccormicki) colony present and the concentration of seabirds (in particular Adélie Penguin (
Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises an area of ice free ground on the eastern shore of Inexpressible Island.
The nearest permanent stations are Mario Zucchelli (ITA) and Jang Bogo (KOR), situated ~30 km to the northeast. China has announced plans to construct a new station several kilometres to the south of the IBA (PRIC & Tongji University 2014).
An average of ~24 450 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin were present each season from 1981 – 2012 (Lyver
et al. 2014). Approximately 60 breeding pairs of South Polar Skuas were present on Inexpressible Island both within and near the vicinity of the IBA in 1982 (Ainley
et al. 1986), although the precise breeding area has not been defined.
Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell Seals (
Leptonychotes weddellii) have been observed on sea ice near Inexpressible Island (PRIC & Tongji University 2014).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Inexpressible Island is visited regularly by tourist ships, and from 2008–13 an average of 73 people per season landed (IAATO Tourism Statistics, accessed: 24/04/2014).
China recently announced plans to establish a new permanent research station on ice free ground ~2 km to the south of the IBA. The shortest distance between the Adélie Penguin colony and the proposed station site is ~1.5 km (PRIC & Tongji University 2014). Helicopter, ships, vehicles and pedestrians are likely to operate in close proximity to the IBA, both during construction and when operational. China has expressed interest in establishing a new Antarctic Specially Protected Area (PRIC & Tongji University 2014), and if designated this should help protect the penguin colony.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Inexpressible Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/inexpressible-island-iba-antarctica on 22/12/2024.
