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Protection


Male southern elephant seal
Male southern elephant seal. Photo by S. Goldsworthy
The terrestrial, freshwater and relatively shallow marine waters (<1000 metres) of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) Marine Reserve provide critical habitat for a range of plant and animal species.

The table below lists those species of breeding birds, non-breeding birds, seals and cetaceans found in the Reserve and which have conservation status under national legislation and national and international agreements as threatened and/or migratory species.

The international agreements referred to above include:

Conservation Plans

A number recovery plans and threat abatement plans made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 for listed threatened species, and other national actions plans, are relevant to the protection and management of species found in the Reserve. These include:

More information about conservation plans for threatened species is available from the Threatened Species pages of the Department of the Environment and Heritage website.





Conservation Status of HIMI Fauna


Breeding Birds
Scientific Name
Common Name
Conservation Status
Aptenodytes patagonicus king penguin S
Catharacta lonnbergi subantactic skua S
Chionis minor nasicornis (e) Heard Island sheathbill  
Daption capense cape petrel S
Diomeda exulans wandering albatross VSMBJA
Diomeda melanophrys black-browed albatross SMBA
Eudyptes chrysocome southern rockhopper penguin S
Eudyptes chrysolophus macaroni penguin S
Larus dominicanus kelp gull S
Macronectes giganteus southern giant petrel ESMBA
Oceanites oceanicus Wilson’s storm petrel SMJ
Pachyptila crassirostris fulmar prion S
Pachyptila desolata Antarctic prion S
Pelecanoides georgicus South Georgian diving petrel S
Pelecanoides urinatrix common diving petrel S
Phalacrocorax atriceps (e) Heard Island cormorant VS
Phoebetria palpebrata light mantled sooty albatross SMBA
Pygoscelis papua gentoo penguin S
Sterna vittata Antarctic tern VS
(e) - Taxon endemic to the HIMI; A - Listed under ACAP; B - Species listed under the Bonn Convention; C - Listed under CAMBA; E - Listed under the EPBC Act as endangered; F - In a family listed under the Bonn Convention; J - Listed under JAMBA; M - Listed under the EPBC Act as migratory species (listed under the Bonn Convention, and/or CAMBA and/or JAMBA); S - Listed marine species under the EPBC Act; V - Listed under the EPBC Act as vulnerable; W - Whales and other cetaceans under the EPBC Act
 
Non-breeding Birds
Scientific Name
Common Name
Conservation Status
Catharacta maccormicki south polar skua SMJ
Diomedea epomophora southern royal albatross VSMBA
Fregetta grallaria white-bellied storm petrel S
Fregetta tropica black-bellied storm petrel S
Fulmarus glacialoides southern fulmar S
Garrodia nereis grey-backed storm petrel S
Halobaena caerulea blue petrel VS
Macronectes halli northern giant petrel VSMBA
Pachyptila belcheri narrow-billed petrel S
Pachyptila vittata broad-billed petrel S
Pagodroma nivea snow petrel S
Phoebetria fusca sooty albatross VSMBA
Procellaria aequinoctialis white chinned petrel SMBA
Procellaria cinerea grey petrel SMB
Pterodroma baraui Barau's petrel S
Pterodroma brevirostris Kerguelen petrel S
Pterodroma inexpectata mottled petrel S
Pterodroma lessonii white-headed petrel S
Pterodroma macroptera great-winged petrel S
Pterodroma mollis soft-plumaged petrel VS
Pygoscelis adeliae Adelie penguin S
Pygoscelis antarctica chinstrap penguin S
Sterna paradisaea Arctic tern S
Thalassarche chlororhynchos yellow-nosed albatross SMB
Thalassarche chrysostoma grey-headed albatross VSMB
Thalassoica antarctica Antarctic petrel S
Tringa nebularia greenshank SMBJC
(e) - Taxon endemic to the HIMI; A - Listed under ACAP; B - Species listed under the Bonn Convention; C - Listed under CAMBA; E - Listed under the EPBC Act as endangered; F - In a family listed under the Bonn Convention; J - Listed under JAMBA; M - Listed under the EPBC Act as migratory species (listed under the Bonn Convention, and/or CAMBA and/or JAMBA); S - Listed marine species under the EPBC Act; V - Listed under the EPBC Act as vulnerable; W - Whales and other cetaceans under the EPBC Act
 
Seals
Scientific Name
Common Name
Conservation Status
Arctocephalus gazella Antarctic fur seal S
Arctocephalus tropicalis subantarctic fur seal VS
Hydrurga leptonyx leopard seal S
Leptonychotes weddelli Weddell seal S
Lobodon carcinophagus crabeater seal S
Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal VS
Ommatophoca rossi Ross seal S
(e) - Taxon endemic to the HIMI; A - Listed under ACAP; B - Species listed under the Bonn Convention; C - Listed under CAMBA; E - Listed under the EPBC Act as endangered; F - In a family listed under the Bonn Convention; J - Listed under JAMBA; M - Listed under the EPBC Act as migratory species (listed under the Bonn Convention, and/or CAMBA and/or JAMBA); S - Listed marine species under the EPBC Act; V - Listed under the EPBC Act as vulnerable; W - Whales and other cetaceans under the EPBC Act
 
Cetaceans
Scientific Name
Common Name
Conservation Status
Balaena australis southern right whale EWMB
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Minke whale W
Balaenoptera bonaerensis Antarctic Minke whale W
Balaenoptera borealis Sei whale VW
Balaenoptera musculus blue whale EWMB
Balaenoptera physalus fin whale VW
Berardius arnuxii Arnoux’s beaked whale W
Globicephala melas long-finned pilot whale W
Hyperoodon planifrons southern bottlenose whale WMB
Lagenorhynchus cruciger hourglass dolphin W
Lagenorhynchus obscurus dusky dolphin WMB
Megaptera noveangliae humpback whale VWMB
Mesoplodon layardii Strap-toothed beaked whale W
Orcinas orca killer whale WMB
Phocoena dioptrica spectacled porpoise WMB
Physeter macrocephalus sperm whale W
(e) - Taxon endemic to the HIMI; A - Listed under ACAP; B - Species listed under the Bonn Convention; C - Listed under CAMBA; E - Listed under the EPBC Act as endangered; F - In a family listed under the Bonn Convention; J - Listed under JAMBA; M - Listed under the EPBC Act as migratory species (listed under the Bonn Convention, and/or CAMBA and/or JAMBA); S - Listed marine species under the EPBC Act; V - Listed under the EPBC Act as vulnerable; W - Whales and other cetaceans under the EPBC Act


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Cool Facts
  • Southern elephant seals breed in colonial groups called harems. A single dominant male usually can control a harem of up to 50 females. Once harems get larger than this the dominant "beachmaster" will allow assistant beachmasters to reside within the harem.
    • Related Pages

    HIMI Marine Reserve

    International Agreements

    National Agreements

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