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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gough Island | 3/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Island | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:18:38.207353+00:00 | kb-cron |
==== House mice ==== In April 2007, researchers published evidence that predation by introduced house mice on seabird chicks is occurring at levels that might drive the Tristan albatross and the Atlantic petrel to extinction. As of October 2018, it is estimated that as many as 2,000,000 fewer eggs and chicks are being raised due to the impact of mice on the island, threatening the extinction of several species of seabirds that breed exclusively or nearly exclusively on Gough Island. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) awarded £62,000 by the UK government's Overseas Territories Environment Programme to fund additional research on the Gough Island mice and a feasibility study of how best to deal with them. This grant also paid for the assessment of a rat problem on Tristan da Cunha island. Trials for a method of eradicating the mice through baiting were commenced, and ultimately a £9.2 million eradication programme was planned, set to begin in 2020, with the island expected to be mouse-free by 2022. However, the start date was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme used helicopters to drop cereal pellets containing the rodenticide brodifacoum. Gough has also been identified as the third-most important island in the world (out of 107 islands) to be targeted for the removal of non-native invasive mammals in order to save threatened species from extinction and to make major progress towards achieving global conservation targets. The proposed cull was criticised by the director of Animal Aid, stating, "We don't feel we have the right to choose some animals over others ... We don't agree with any culling for so-called conservation purposes. The conservation priority should be making sure wild spaces are protected, but allowing nature to do its thing." As of December 2021, the head of the project to cull the population of mice considers this to have been a failure, since a living mouse was spotted after the completion of the project, which implied that there are other mice still alive on Gough. Nevertheless, the RSPB is planning a future restoration attempt by applying rodenticide bait, after doing some research to improve this operation.
== Weather station ==
A weather station has been operating on Gough Island since 1956. It is operated as part of the network of the South African Weather Service. Because cold fronts approach South Africa from the south-west, the Gough station is particularly important in forecasting winter weather. Initially it was housed in the station at The Glen, but moved in 1963 to the southern lowlands of the island (near 40°21′0″S 9°52′50″W) for better data collection.
=== Human presence === Each year, a new overwintering team arrives by ship from Cape Town (since 2012, on the S. A. Agulhas II) to staff the weather station and perform scientific research. The team for a particular year may be termed as "Gough" and an expedition number: For example, the 1956 team was designated "Gough 01", and the team for 2013 was "Gough 58". Each new team directly replaces the departing one, thereby maintaining a continual human presence on the island. A team normally consists of:
A senior meteorologist Two junior meteorologists A radio technician A medic A diesel mechanic A number of biologists (depending on ongoing research projects) The team is supplied with enough food to last the whole year. People and cargo are landed either by helicopter, from a helideck-equipped supply ship, or by a fixed crane atop a cliff near the station (a place aptly called "Crane Point"). Several team members have died on the island.
== Maps ==
== See also == South African National Antarctic Programme – Government research programme SANAE – South African National Antarctic Expedition Marion Island – The larger of the Prince Edward Islands S. A. Agulhas – South African ice-strengthened training ship and former polar research vessel S. A. Agulhas II – Icebreaking polar supply and research ship Nigel Morritt Wace – British Royal Marine, botanist and subantarctic guide
== References ==
== External links == www.goughisland.com – The Gough Island Restoration Project website Gough Island Gallery Facebook Groups – Gough Island team discussions Gough and Inaccessible Islands – UNESCO wildlife reserve publication Photographs of Gough Island – Flickr publication by Chantal van Staden.