Edmonson Point (74°20' S, 165°08' E) is located in Wood Bay, Victoria Land, Ross Sea, at the foot of the eastern slopes of Mount Melbourne, about 50 km NE of Mario Zucchelli Station at Terra Nova Bay (Italy). Edmonson Point is one of the largest of the few low-lying coastal ice-free areas in Northern Victoria Land and was first identified in the 1980s as a site that could merit special protection.
The site is representative in the sense that a wide range of freshwater habitats is present, and is considered excellent for studies on biogeochemical processes in lakes; vegetation is unusually well-developed and the site is a good example of an Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) assemblage. Edmonson Point includes a Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) breeding area along the adjacent coast, which is considered to be an example representative of other such sites in the Ross Sea.
Scientific values are particularly high for terrestrial and freshwater ecology: the site is considered especially good for studies on the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. Because of the diverse habitats and features, a wide range of science is conducted at the site, which makes it particularly good for multi-disciplinary research.
Based on comments and advice received over 2003-04, Italy has now revised a draft management plan for Edmonson Point and it is presented as a proposal for a new protected area. Given the proposed inclusion of a small marine component, and also because research being conducted at the site contributes to the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Programme (CEMP), Italy also wishes the draft plan to be formally submitted to CCAMLR for its consideration and advice.
Document Number:
WG-EMM-05/7
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