Jacquemart Island

Jacquemart Island is the name of one of the islets surrounding Campbell Island, New Zealand. It is located 1 km south of Campbell Island at coord|52|37|S|169|7.5|E| and is the southernmost island of New Zealand. The exact coordinates of this extreme point are coord|52|37|10|S|169|07|33|E|. While Jacquemart Island still belongs indisputably to New Zealand, New Zealand also claims territory in Antarctica which stretches to the South Pole. Like other Antarctic territorial claims, New Zealand's jurisdiction over the Ross Dependency is not recognised by most nations.The name 'Jaquemart' originates from the name of the Captain of the vessel of the French Expedition to Campbell Island in 1874. [ [http://www.transitofvenus.co.nz/astronomy/french_exp_1874.html Origin of the name Jacquemart Island. I.S. Kerr -"Campbell Island: A History" (A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1976).] ]

Geography

Jacquemart Island is a stack with an area of 19 ha, being about 750 m in length by 500 m in width and surrounded by precipitous cliffs at least 30 m high at their lowest. Its highest point is about 200 m asl. It is an eroded remnant of basaltic lavas originally laid down on a sedimentary base. Because of its inacessibility from the sea, the first visit by humans to the island did not take place until 29 December 1980 when a small party of scientists was landed by helicopter on the summit ridge for a 90 minute survey. Subsequent short visits were made in 1984 and 1997.Foggo, M.N.; & Meurk, Colin D. (1981). Notes on a visit to Jacquemart Island in the Campbell Island Group. "New Zealand Journal of Ecology" 4: 29-32. [http://www.newzealandecology.org/nzje/free_issues/NZJEcol4_29.pdf] ]

Flora and fauna

Much of the area of the island above the cliffs is covered with tussock grassland on a substratum of peat undermined with petrel burrows. There are also herbfield communities, rock and ledge communities, as well as lichens and cushion plants.

Birds recorded as breeding on Jacquemart include Sooty Shearwater, Northern Giant Petrel, Grey-backed Storm-petrel, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Brown Skua and Campbell Island Shag. Other seabirds which may breed there are Common Diving-petrel and Cape Petrel. Australasian Pipits and Common Starlings have been seen. A species of cave weta has also been recorded from the island, as well as the Campbell Island Leaf-veined Slug.

Campbell Island Snipe

Until the Campbell Islands were cleared of introduced rats in 2001, Jacquemart was also the last refuge of the Campbell Island Snipe, an undescribed race or species of New Zealand snipe only discovered in 1997. After the eradication of rats the snipe began to recolonise the rest of the group, with a small breeding population discovered in 2005 on southern Campbell Island opposite Jacquemart. [ [http://www.biodiversity.govt.nz/news/media/current/20jan06b.html New Zealand Biodiversity media release - 20 January 2006] ] Barker, David; Carroll, Jeremy, W.A.; Edmonds, Hannah K.; Fraser, James R.; & Miskelly, Colin M. (2005). Discovery of a previously unknown "Coenocorypha" snipe in the Campbell Island group, New Zealand subantarctic. "Notornis" 52: 143-149. [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_52-2005/Notornis_52_3_143.pdf] ]

References

See also

* Slope Point
* Extreme points of New Zealand
* Campbell Island group
* New Zealand sub-antarctic islands
* List of antarctic and sub-antarctic islands

External links

* [http://www.newzeal.com/theme/antarctic/NZ/Campbell/CampbellMap.jpgMap of Campbell Island] with several surrounding islets, including Jacquemart Island lying south of the main island and Dent island lying northwest of the main island