Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Mertz Glacier and its associated glacier tongue are situated between Cape Hurley and Cape de la Motte, George V Land. Until recently, the Mertz Glacier Tongue extended ~100 km northward into the Dumont d'Urville Sea. A ~75 km section of the glacier tongue broke off in 2010, and the portion remaining is currently ~25 km in length and ~40 km across (Ancel
et al. 2014). The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin (
Aptenodytes forsteri) colony present and is entirely marine. The colony breeds on fast ice that forms near the northeastern terminus of the Mertz Glacier Tongue.
The nearest permanent station is Dumont d'Urville (FRA), ~270 km to the west at Pointe Géologie.
Prior to the break of the northern section of the Mertz Glacier Tongue, approximately 4781 Emperor Penguins were present on fast ice near the northern terminus in October 2009, as estimated from satellite imagery (Fretwell
et al. 2012). After the glacier tongue broke off, the colony appears to have split into two sub-colonies and moved ~75 km south to breed near the new northern terminus of the glacier tongue. In 2012 the sub-colonies were separated by ~20 km and a ground census estimated 5100 breeding pairs in the western colony and 2300 breeding pairs in the east (Ancel
et al. 2014).
According to the criteria used to define Antarctic IBAs, only the new western colony would be identified as an IBA and the eastern would not qualify because numbers in 2012 were slightly below the threshold. However, both sub-colonies have been included within the IBA because Fretwell
et al. (2012) earlier identified only a single colony, because the re-located sub-colonies breed relatively close to each other, and because their breeding locations vary according to the highly dynamic local ice conditions. In these circumstances, it was considered appropriate to include both breeding groups within a single IBA. No other birds are known to breed in the area.
Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell Seals (
Leptonychotes weddellii) have been observed on sea ice near leads in the vicinity (Ancel
et al. 2014).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
IAATO reports three tourist visits to the Mertz Glacier area from 2003-14, with an average of 248 visitors per visit, although a landing was made in only one season (IAATO Tourism Statistics, accessed: 18/12/2014). The level of visitation is low and is not anticipated to cause conservations issues.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mertz Glacier (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mertz-glacier-iba-antarctica on 06/12/2024.
