O'Brien Island is a small rocky island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.[1] It lies 4 kilometres (2 nmi) south-west of Aspland Island and rises to 540 m. A strong marine channel, named Tasman Rip, runs between O'Brien Island and Eadie Island.
  O'Brien Island Location in Antarctica | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 61°30′S 55°58′W / 61.500°S 55.967°W |
| Highest elevation | 540 m (1770 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
The name dates back to the survey of the South Shetlands carried out by Edward Bransfield and William Smith in 1820, when it was applied to O'Brien, Eadie and Aspland Islands as a group. It is now established in international usage.[2]
Important Bird Area edit
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because there are records (from 1977) of it supporting large breeding colonies of chinstrap penguins (21,000 pairs) and southern fulmars (8000 pairs).[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "O'Brien Island on Australian Antarctic Data Centre".
- ^
This article incorporates public domain material from "O'Brien Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ^ "O'Brien Island". BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas. BirdLife International. 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
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