The Edwards Islands are a group of about 20 small islands, mostly ice free in summer, lying off the south-western tip of the Canisteo Peninsula, which projects into the eastern Amundsen Sea between Cranton and Ferrero Bays, on the Walgreen Coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica.[1] They were plotted from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Squadron VX-6 in January 1960, and were named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Z T Edwards, chief quartermaster on the USS Glacier during the U.S. Navy Bellingshausen Sea Expedition to this area in February 1960.[2][3]
![]() Adélie penguins breed on the islands | |
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica |
Coordinates | 73°53′00″S 103°08′00″W / 73.88333°S 103.13333°W |
Total islands | 20 |
Administration | |
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
Demographics | |
Population | Uninhabited |
Important Bird Area
editA 178 ha site, comprising the larger ice-free islands of the Edwards group and the intervening marine area, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of about 58,000 Adélie penguins, estimated from 2010 satellite imagery.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Edwards Islands". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ "Edwards Islands". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ^ "Edwards Islands". Gna-GeographicNamesOfTheAntarctic1stEdition1981_djvu. p. 606. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
External links
edit- This article incorporates public domain material from "Edwards Islands". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.