The
Crozet Islands are a sub-antarctic
archipelagoAn archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek arkhon and pelagos...
of small islands in the southern
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
. They form one of the five administrative
districtDistricts 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.
Omitting tiny satellite islets and rocks, there are six islands (two of them rather island groups), mostly
volcanic3. Conduit
4. Base
5. Sill
6. Dike
7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano
8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano
10. Throat
11. Parasitic cone
12. Lava flow
13. Vent
14. Crater
15...
. From east to west:
(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 FaureAlfred-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 leavel. 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.
The
Crozet Islands are a sub-antarctic
archipelagoAn archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek arkhon and pelagos...
of small islands in the southern
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
. They form one of the five administrative
districtDistricts 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
Omitting tiny satellite islets and rocks, there are six islands (two of them rather island groups), mostly
volcanic3. Conduit
4. Base
5. Sill
6. Dike
7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano
8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano
10. Throat
11. Parasitic cone
12. Lava flow
13. Vent
14. Crater
15...
. From east to west:
| No. |
Island or Group (English) |
Area |
Highest Peak |
Location |
| L'Occidental (Western Group) |
| 1 |
Île aux Cochons (Pig Island) |
|
|
|
| 2 |
Île des Pingouins (Penguin Island, literally Auk Island) |
|
|
|
| 3 |
Îlots des Apôtres 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 , 10 km north of Île aux Cochons, the largest of the Crozet Islands. Their total area is about 2 km²...
(Apostle Islets)(1) |
|
|
|
| L'Oriental (Eastern Group) |
| 4 |
Île de la Possession (Possession Island) |
|
|
|
| 5 |
Île de l'Est Île de l'Est is a part of the sub-Antarctic archipelago Crozet Islands. With 130 km² it is the second largest island of this group. It belongs to the French territory French Southern and Antarctic Lands....
(East Island) |
|
|
|
| |
Îles Crozet (Crozet Islands) |
|
| 45°57' to 46°29'S50°10' to 52°19'E |
(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 FaureAlfred-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 leavel. 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. Further scientific stations have been La Grande Manchotière and La Petite Manchotière.
Geology
Analysis of magnetic anomalies on the sea floor indicates that the Crozet Plateau, of which the islands form the highest points, formed some 50 million years ago. The islands are of volcanic origin, and
basaltBasalt 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.On Earth, most...
dating to at least 8.8 million years back has been found.
Climate
Precipitation is, with over 2000 millimetres (78.7 in) per year, very high. It rains on average 300 days a year, and winds exceeding 100 km/h (60 mph) occur on 100 days a year. The temperatures may rise to 18°C (64°F) in summer and rarely go below 5°C (41°F) even in winter.
History
The Crozet Islands were first discovered by the expedition of
Marc-Joseph Marion du FresneMarc-Joseph Marion du Fresne was a French explorer. He was born in Saint Malo and joined the French East India Company at the age of 11 as a sub-lieutenant aboard the Duc de Bourgogne....
, a
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
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,
whalingWhaling is the hunting of whales which dates back to at least 3,000 BC. The evolution of traditional Arctic whaling developed with increasing rapidity by early organized fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of...
was the main activity around the islands, especially by the whalers from
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. 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. Most of its population of...
. 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
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
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
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
Tamaris was wrecked and her crew stranded on Île des Cochons. They tied a note to the leg of an
AlbatrossAlbatrosses, 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
FremantleFremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's western coast. It was the first settlement of the Swan River colonists in 1829...
. Alas, the crew was never recovered. Because shipwrecks around the islands were so common, for some time the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
dispatched a ship every few years to look for stranded survivors.
France originally administered the islands as a dependency of
MadagascarMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
, but they became part of the
French Southern TerritoriesThe 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
meteorologicalMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting . Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the eighteenth century...
,
biologicalBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
, and
geologicalGeology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, physical properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed...
research and maintains a seismograph.
Biology
The Crozet Islands are home to four species of
penguinPenguins 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 PenguinThe 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 PenguinThe King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies - A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
. The Eastern
Rockhopper PenguinRockhopper penguins are a species complex of penguins that until recently were considered conspecific under the name Eudyptes chrysocome. The following three species have been identified:* Southern Rockhopper Penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome....
also can be found, and there is a small colony of
Gentoo PenguinThe Gentoo Penguin , Pygoscelis papua, is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts...
s, as well as
Black-faced SheathbillThe Black-faced Sheathbill , also known as the Lesser Sheathbill or Paddy, is one of only two species of sheathbills, aberrant shorebirds which are terrestrial scavengers of subantarctic islands.-Description:...
s.
Other animals living on the Crozet Islands include
fur sealFur 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,
Southern Elephant SealThe Southern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal. It is not only the most massive pinniped but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to have ever lived...
s,
petrelPetrels 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
albatrossAlbatrosses, 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 AlbatrossThe 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...
.
Killer whales have been observed preying upon many of the aforementioned species. The Transient Orcas of 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 (
miceA 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. The American white-footed mouse and the deer mouse also sometimes live in houses. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common...
,
ratRats 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
catThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felines and felids, is a small carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s for pest control) has caused severe damage to the original
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
. The
pigPigs are a genus of even-toed ungulates within the family Suidae. The name hog most commonly refers to the domestic pig in everyday parlance, but technically encompasses several distinct species, including the wild boar...
s that had been introduced on Île des Cochons and the
goatThe 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: 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.
An on-going concern is
overfishingOverfishing 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 ToothfishThe Patagonian toothfish, species 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 The...
and the
AlbatrossAlbatrosses, 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.
See also
External links