Moe Island

Moe Island is an island 1 nautical mile (2 km) long in the South Orkney Islands off Antarctica, separated from the south-west end of Signy Island by Fyr Channel. It was charted by Captain Petter Sørlle in 1912–13, and named after M. Thoralf Moe of Sandefjord, Norway, a contemporary whaling captain who worked in this area.[1] The northernmost point of the island is Spaull Point, named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) after Vaughan W. Spaull, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) biologist on Signy Island, 1969.[2]

South Orkney Islands.

Antarctic Specially Protected Area

The island has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 109) mainly for its biological values, especially the banks of Chorisodontium–Polytrichum moss turf and Andreaea–Usnea fellfield. The cryptogamic flora is diverse, though in places the moss turf is subject to damage by Antarctic fur seals. The mites Stereotydeus villosus and Gamasellus racovitzai, as well as the springtail Cryptopygus antarcticus, are common beneath stones.[3]

Important Bird Area

Moe Island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of seabirds. Some 11,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins were recorded in 1978–79, though subsequently their numbers have declined with only about 100 pairs present in January 2006. Other birds recorded nesting at the site include Cape petrels, Antarctic prions and snow petrels.[4]

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See also
  • List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands
  • Snipe Peak

References
  1. "Moe Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  2. "Spaull Point". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  3. "Moe Island, South Orkney Islands" (PDF). Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 109: Measure 1, Annex A. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2007. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  4. "Moe Island". BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas. BirdLife International. 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-10.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document: "Moe Island". (content from the Geographic Names Information System)


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