Crozet Islands
Encyclopedia
The Crozet Islands are a sub-antarctic archipelago
of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean
. They form one of the five administrative district
s of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
(1)group of two major islands (Grand Île - Big Island, and Petite Île - Little Island) and about 20 pinnacle rocks.
The Eastern and Western Groups are 94.5 kilometres (58.7 mi) apart (from Île des Pingouins to Île de la Possession)
The Crozet Islands are uninhabited, except for the research station Alfred Faure
(Port Alfred) on the East side of Île de la Possession, which has been continuously manned since 1963. Previous scientific stations included La Grande Manchotière and La Petite Manchotière.
. Rock samples indicate volcanic origins going back to at least 8.8 million years.
The islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra
ecoregion
that includes several subantarctic
islands. In this cold climate plant life is mainly limited to grasses, moss
es and lichen
s, while the main animals are insects along with large populations of seabird
s, seal
s and penguin
s.
The Crozet Islands are home to four species of penguin
s. Most abundant are the Macaroni Penguin
, of which some 2 million pairs breed on the islands, and the King Penguin
. The Eastern Rockhopper Penguin
also can be found, and there is a small colony of Gentoo Penguin
s. Other birds include Black-faced Sheathbill
s, petrel
s, and albatross
, including the Wandering Albatross
.
Animals living on the Crozet Islands include fur seal
s, and Southern Elephant Seal
s. Killer whales have been observed preying upon the seals. The transient Killer Whales of the Crozet Islands are famous for intentionally beaching (and later un-stranding) themselves while actively hunting the islands' breeding seal population. This is a very rare behaviour, most often seen in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and is thought to be a learned skill passed down through generations of individual Orca families.
The Crozet Islands have been a nature reserve since 1938. Introduction of foreign species (mice
, rat
s, and subsequently cat
s for pest control) has caused severe damage to the original ecosystem
. The pig
s that had been introduced on Île des Cochons and the goat
s brought to Île de la Possession—both as a food resource—have been exterminated.
Another on-going concern is overfishing
of the Patagonian Toothfish
and the Albatross
population is monitored. The waters of the Crozet Islands are patrolled by the French government.
fauna
The Crozet Islands were first discovered by the expedition of Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne
, a French
explorer, who landed on January 24, 1772 on Île de la Possession, claiming the archipelago for France. He named the islands after his second-in-command Jules Crozet (He had already named Marion Island after himself).
In the early 19th century, the islands were often visited by sealers, to the extent that the seals had been nearly exterminated by 1835. Subsequently, whaling
was the main activity around the islands, especially by the whalers from Massachusetts
. In 1841 there were a dozen whaleships around the islands. Within a couple of years this had increased to twenty from the United States alone. Such exploitation was short-lived, and the islands were rarely visited for the rest of the century.
Shipwrecks occurred frequently at the Crozet Islands. The British
sealer, Princess of Wales, sank in 1821, and the survivors spent two years on the islands. The Strathmore was wrecked in 1875. In 1887, the French
Tamaris was wrecked and her crew stranded on Île des Cochons. They tied a note to the leg of an Albatross
, which was found seven months later in Fremantle
, but the crew was never recovered. Because shipwrecks around the islands were so common, for some time the Royal Navy
dispatched a ship every few years to look for stranded survivors.
France originally administered the islands as a dependency of Madagascar
, but they became part of the French Southern Territories
in 1955. In 1938, the Crozet Islands were declared a nature reserve. In 1961, a first research station was set up, but it wasn't until 1963 that the permanent station Alfred Faure opened at Port Albert on Île de la Possession (both named after the first leader of the station). The station is staffed by 18 to 30 people (depending on the season) and does meteorological
, biological
, and geological
research, maintains a seismograph and a geomagnetic observatory (IAGA code: CZT).
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. They form one of the five administrative district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
Geography
Not including minor islets or rock reefs etc., the Crozet group consists of six islands. From east to west:| No. | Island or Group (English) | Area | Highest Peak | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Occidental (Western Group) | ||||
| 1 | Île aux Cochons (Pig Island) | align="center" | 67 square kilometres (25.9 sq mi) | Mont Richard-Foy, 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) | 46°06′S 50°14′E |
| 2 | Île des Pingouins (Penguin Island, literally Auk Island) | align="center" | 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) | Mont des Manchots 340 metres (1,115.5 ft) | 46°25′S 50°24′E |
| 3 | Îlots des Apôtres Îlots des Apôtres (Crozet) The Îlots des Apôtres are a group of small and uninhabited rocky islands in the northwestern part of the Crozet Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, located at , north of Île aux Cochons, the largest of the Crozet Islands. Their total area is about... (Apostle Islets)(1) |
align="center" | 2 square kilometre (0.77220431718507 sq mi) | Mont Pierre, 289 metres (948.2 ft) | 45°57′S 50°25′E |
| L'Oriental (Eastern Group) | ||||
| 4 | Île de la Possession (Possession Island) | align="center" | 150 square kilometres (57.9 sq mi) | Pic du Mascarin, 934 metres (3,064.3 ft) | 46°24′S 51°46′E |
| 5 | Île de l'Est Île de l'Est Île de l'Est is a part of the sub-Antarctic archipelago Crozet Islands. With it is the second largest island of this group. It belongs to the French territory French Southern and Antarctic Lands.- See also :* List of Antarctic islands north of 60° S... (East Island) |
align="center" | 130 square kilometres (50.2 sq mi) | Mont Marion-Dufresne, 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) | 46°25′S 52°12′E |
| Îles Crozet (Crozet Islands) | align="center" | 352 square kilometres (135.9 sq mi) | Mont Marion-Dufresne, 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) | 45°57' to 46°29'S50°10' to 52°19'E | |
The Eastern and Western Groups are 94.5 kilometres (58.7 mi) apart (from Île des Pingouins to Île de la Possession)
The Crozet Islands are uninhabited, except for the research station Alfred Faure
Alfred Faure
Alfred-Faure or Port Alfred is a permanent French scientific station on Île de la Possession of the Crozet Islands. It is located at on the eastern side of the island. The station is situated on a plateau 460 ft above sea level. Depending on the season, there are between 15-60 personnel working...
(Port Alfred) on the East side of Île de la Possession, which has been continuously manned since 1963. Previous scientific stations included La Grande Manchotière and La Petite Manchotière.
Geology
Analysis of magnetic anomalies on the sea floor indicates that the Crozet Plateau formed some 50 million years ago. The islands are of volcanic origin, and basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
. Rock samples indicate volcanic origins going back to at least 8.8 million years.
Climate
Precipitation is high, with over 2000 mm (78.7 in) per year. It rains on average 300 days a year, and winds exceeding 100 km/h (62.1 mph) occur on 100 days a year. The temperatures may rise to 18 °C (64.4 °F) in summer and rarely go below 5 °C (41 °F) even in winter.Flora and fauna
Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra
The Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra is a tundra ecoregion that includes several subantarctic islands in the southern Indian Ocean.-Location and description:...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
that includes several subantarctic
Subantarctic
The Subantarctic is a region in the southern hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° – 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and...
islands. In this cold climate plant life is mainly limited to grasses, moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es and lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s, while the main animals are insects along with large populations of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s and penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s.
The Crozet Islands are home to four species of penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s. Most abundant are the Macaroni Penguin
Macaroni Penguin
The Macaroni Penguin is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the Royal Penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species...
, of which some 2 million pairs breed on the islands, and the King Penguin
King Penguin
The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
. The Eastern Rockhopper Penguin
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin
The Eastern Rockhopper Penguin although genetically differnt is still often considered as a subspecies of the Southern Rockhopper Penguin.-Distribution:...
also can be found, and there is a small colony of Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo penguin
The Gentoo Penguin , Pygoscelis papua, is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. The gentoo penguin has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail - the most prominent tail of all penguins. Chicks have...
s. Other birds include Black-faced Sheathbill
Black-faced Sheathbill
The Black-faced Sheathbill , also known as the Lesser Sheathbill or Paddy bird, is one of only two species of sheathbills, aberrant shorebirds which are terrestrial scavengers of subantarctic islands.-Description:...
s, petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s, and albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
, including the Wandering Albatross
Wandering Albatross
The Wandering Albatross, Snowy Albatross or White-winged Albatross, Diomedea exulans, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae, which has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It was the first species of albatross to be described, and was long considered the same species as the Tristan...
.
Animals living on the Crozet Islands include fur seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
s, and Southern Elephant Seal
Southern Elephant Seal
The Southern Elephant Seal is one of the two extant species of elephant seal. It is both the most massive pinniped and member of the order Carnivora living today...
s. Killer whales have been observed preying upon the seals. The transient Killer Whales of the Crozet Islands are famous for intentionally beaching (and later un-stranding) themselves while actively hunting the islands' breeding seal population. This is a very rare behaviour, most often seen in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and is thought to be a learned skill passed down through generations of individual Orca families.
The Crozet Islands have been a nature reserve since 1938. Introduction of foreign species (mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, and subsequently cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s for pest control) has caused severe damage to the original ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. The pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s that had been introduced on Île des Cochons and the goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s brought to Île de la Possession—both as a food resource—have been exterminated.
Another on-going concern is overfishing
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
of the Patagonian Toothfish
Patagonian toothfish
The Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides , is a fish found in the cold, temperate waters of the southern Atlantic, southern Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands.A close relative, the Antarctic toothfish , is found...
and the Albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
population is monitored. The waters of the Crozet Islands are patrolled by the French government.
fauna
- see Crozet Islands nonmarine fauna
History
Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne
Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne , with the surname sometimes spelt Dufresne, was a French explorer who made important discoveries in the south Indian Ocean, in Tasmania and in New Zealand, where he died...
, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer, who landed on January 24, 1772 on Île de la Possession, claiming the archipelago for France. He named the islands after his second-in-command Jules Crozet (He had already named Marion Island after himself).
In the early 19th century, the islands were often visited by sealers, to the extent that the seals had been nearly exterminated by 1835. Subsequently, whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
was the main activity around the islands, especially by the whalers from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. In 1841 there were a dozen whaleships around the islands. Within a couple of years this had increased to twenty from the United States alone. Such exploitation was short-lived, and the islands were rarely visited for the rest of the century.
Shipwrecks occurred frequently at the Crozet Islands. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sealer, Princess of Wales, sank in 1821, and the survivors spent two years on the islands. The Strathmore was wrecked in 1875. In 1887, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Tamaris was wrecked and her crew stranded on Île des Cochons. They tied a note to the leg of an Albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
, which was found seven months later in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, but the crew was never recovered. Because shipwrecks around the islands were so common, for some time the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
dispatched a ship every few years to look for stranded survivors.
France originally administered the islands as a dependency of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, but they became part of the French Southern Territories
French Southern Territories
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands , full name Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands , consist of:...
in 1955. In 1938, the Crozet Islands were declared a nature reserve. In 1961, a first research station was set up, but it wasn't until 1963 that the permanent station Alfred Faure opened at Port Albert on Île de la Possession (both named after the first leader of the station). The station is staffed by 18 to 30 people (depending on the season) and does meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, biological
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
research, maintains a seismograph and a geomagnetic observatory (IAGA code: CZT).
See also
- Administrative divisions of FranceAdministrative divisions of FranceThe administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. There are many administrative divisions, which may have political , electoral , or administrative objectives.- Metropolitan France :As of January 1, 2008, metropolitan...
- French overseas departments and territories
- Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceansIslands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans-Indian Ocean Islands:The following islands are in the Indian Ocean*Réunion - *Mayotte - *French Southern and Antarctic Lands **Amsterdam Island **Crozet Islands **Kerguelen Islands...
- Kerguelen IslandsKerguelen IslandsThe Kerguelen Islands , also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean constituting the emerged part of the otherwise submerged Kerguelen Plateau. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands are part of...
- List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
- List of volcanoes in French Southern and Antarctic Lands
- Prince Edward IslandsPrince Edward IslandsThe Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of South Africa. The islands, named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, are located at ....