Beaufort Island is an
isolated island in the Ross Sea about 13 miles (21 km) north
of Ross Island. It is about 7 square miles (18 sq km)
in area rising steeply to 2,530 feet (771m) made entirely of
basalt which is characteristic for the area (Ross Island itself
includes the active volcano of Mount Erebus).
Beaufort Island is designated as an "Antarctic Specially
Protected area" an ASPA. This means that a permit is required
to land on the island and any activities carried out there must
be conducted according to a management plan. It has yet to be
extensively surveyed, due to the difficulty of accessing it,
human visitors have been rare. It has had far fewer opportunities
than anywhere else in the Ross Sea region for the introduction
of non-endemic biological material. It is this low level of
human impact that has largely led to it being designated an
ASPA.
There are larger areas of vegetation
(moss banks) than anywhere in the region and the island has
the most southerly found regions of red snow algae. A northerly
facing aspect protected from cold southerly winds by high ice
cliffs make it a relatively mild climate. A stable substratum
(basalt) and a steady supply of water in the warmer months from
ice cliffs and snow banks make it particularly favourable for
the growth of vegetation.
Picture courtesy of Mike Usher
- Mike went on a Ross Sea expedition on board the Kapitan Khlebnikov
in 2005.
You can purchase a selection of Mike's pictures
here
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