- Elephant seals.
- Hooker’s sea lion.
- Fur seals.
- King penguins.
- Royal penguins.
- Gentoo penguins.
- Southern rockhopper penguins.
- Albatrosses.
What is so special about Macquarie Island?
Macquarie Island is the only island in the world composed entirely of oceanic crust and rocks from the mantle, deep below the earth’s surface. … It is an island of unique natural diversity, a site of major geoconservation significance and one of the truly remarkable places on earth.
Why is Macquarie Island in danger?
Macquarie Island under threat
Feral cats (as well as other feral animals) contributed to the extinction of two native bird species – the Macquarie Island parakeet and the Macquarie Island rail – before cats were totally eradicated in 2000. Introduced rabbits, rats and mice are a growing threat on the island.
What was Macquarie Island for?
Macquarie Island is located halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica and a station was established on the “green sponge” in 1948. The Island was used as a half way point to establish the first radio link between Australia and Antarctica duringSir Douglas Mawson’s 1911 expedition.
Who owns the Macquarie Islands?
More information. Macquarie Island has a history of human presence since the early 19th century. It has been occupied by ANARE since 1948.
Does Macquarie Island have snow?
Macquarie Island has an extreme oceanic climate with heavy cloud, strong westerly winds and an average rainfall of approximately 900 mm a year. … Rain and snow are frequent, with only a few days each year with no precipitation.
How did cats and rabbits get into Macquarie Island?
These species become quite entwined in the hundreds of years they are together.” Cats were introduced to the Macquarie Island in 1818; sealers introduced rabbits 60 years later. The rabbits tore through the island’s vegetation. In 1968, the rabbit flea was introduced.
How old is Macquarie?
The geological evolution of Macquarie Island began 10 million years ago and continues today with the island experiencing earthquakes and a rapid rate of uplift, all of which are related to active geological processes along the boundary between the two plates.
Can I visit Macquarie Island?
You can only visit Macquarie Island on a small ship expedition cruise, so, sharing an onboard home with up to 50 other passengers, hopping on and off to explore unfamiliar surrounds, you’ll need your sea legs. … But that’s all part of the adventure.
Are there any islands between Tasmania and Antarctica?
Macquarie Island (34 km long x 5 km wide) is an oceanic island in the Southern Ocean, lying 1,500 km south-east of Tasmania and approximately halfway between Australia and the Antarctic continent.
Why were rabbits a problem on Macquarie Island?
European rabbits were introduced to Macquarie Island in the 1870s, while ship rats and house mice were first recorded on the island in the 1890s. … Rabbits consumed the large, leafy megaherbs and grasses, which lacked the ability to adapt to grazing.
Is Tasmania close to Antarctica?
Tasmania is located around 5369 KM away from Antarctica so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Antarctica in 107.39 hours.
Is Tasmania near Antarctica?
Hobart is the natural gateway to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Hobart’s deep water port is 1,390 nautical miles from the Antarctic mainland and 1,852 nautical miles from Australia’s Casey station. …
What Flora is on Macquarie Island?
All of the vegetation of Macquarie Island is herbaceous, with no woody species present. Megaherbs are a distinctive and unique feature of the sub-Antarctic, occurring nowhere else in Tasmania. There are two megaherbs on Macquarie Island – Stilbocarpa polaris (Macquarie Island cabbage) and Pleurophyllum hookeri.
How many years did it take Macquarie Island to rid itself of all of its invasive species?
MACQUARIE ISLAND IS officially pest-free, thanks to a seven-year eradication program. After two years of monitoring, the sub-Antarctic island, which is part of Australian territory, no longer has rabbits, mice or ship rats ravaging its unique wilderness.
How did they eradicate animals from Macquarie Island?
In 2007, the Australian and Tasmanian governments jointly funded a $25 million project to eradicate pests from the 13,000-hectare island. A baiting program was undertaken, before hunters and their dogs were brought in to eradicate any surviving animals.
What effect did removing cats from Macquarie Island have?
With the cats gone, the island’s rabbits (also non-native) began to breed out of control, ravaging native plants and sending ripple effects throughout the ecosystem. The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology online in January.
What type of penguins live on Macquarie Island?
Royal penguins are endemic to Macquarie Island where the vast majority lives, and the nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets where about 1000 pairs breed. Royals at Macquarie Island live in very large colonies. The largest colony at Hurd Point on Macquarie Island has around 500,000 pairs.
What ocean lies to the south of Australia?
Australia is an island continent. This means that every state (excluding Northern Territory and the ACT) is surrounded by Ocean waters. To the South but not bordered on the Australian coast is the Southern Ocean, to the West is the Indian Ocean and to the East is the Pacific Ocean.
Why is Macquarie Island named after Lachlan Macquarie?
Discovery of the Island is attributed to Captain Frederick Hasselborough of the brig Perserverance in 1810. He named the island Macquarie after the then New South Wales Governor, Lachlan Macquarie. Hasselborough and his crew were hunting the fur seals of Macquarie and they found large numbers of them.
Is Macquarie Island part of Australia or New Zealand?
Macquarie Island, subantarctic island, Tasmania, Australia, lying about 930 miles (1,500 km) southeast of the main island of Tasmania.