Four pillars elaborated:

Land Management

Bouvet Island is officially designated as a protected nature reserve and holds the distinction of being the most remote nature reserve in the world. The island, known as Bouvetøya, is predominantly covered in glaciers, with approximately 89% of its surface blanketed by ice. This icy landscape supports unique sub-Antarctic ecosystems, making it a critical site for the preservation of rare and delicate biodiversity.

The isolation and harsh climate of Bouvet Island create an environment where only specially adapted species can thrive, highlighting its importance as a sanctuary for wildlife and a living example of a pristine, untouched natural environment. Its protection ensures the conservation of its unique ecosystems and safeguards against human interference, preserving its ecological integrity for future generations.

Threats to Biodiversity

Bouvetøya has a unique and untouched environment, making it one of the few places in the world with no recorded introduced species. Non-native species pose a significant threat to the island’s ecological balance, as they are often resilient and can outcompete native plants and animals, leading to a loss of biodiversity. Once these species become established, it is often extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove them.

Species from other sub-Antarctic or polar regions are the most likely to establish themselves on Bouvetøya, as they are already adapted to similar conditions. This makes the risk of introducing non-native species particularly high when bringing equipment used in those areas. Additionally, climate change and rising temperatures could create conditions favorable for other species to survive on the island, increasing the likelihood of successful invasions.

Capacity and Governance

The Norwegian government has committed to protecting the biodiversity of Bouvet Island through international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. However, even before these agreements, in 1971, Bouvet Island and the surrounding four nautical miles of territorial waters were designated as the Bouvetøya Nature Reserve. Some species, such as the fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), have been protected since 1935.

The Nyrøysa platform, along with the northern and southern beaches of Westwindstranda, was designated as part of the Ecosystem Monitoring Programme by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). This initiative aims to establish a network of sites across the Southern Ocean for long-term studies on the foraging behavior, population trends, and ecology of vertebrate predators. Although a management plan for Nyrøysa has been drafted, it is not yet in effect.

The Norwegian Polar Institute’s current and past projects on Bouvet Island focus on monitoring ocean currents, sea ice changes, and marine environments, as well as assessing the status of various species.

Future Trends

The Norwegian government is dedicated to safeguarding the biodiversity of Bouvet Island through several international conservation agreements. Efforts to preserve and enhance biodiversity on islands like Bouvet emphasize building new connections between humans and nature, utilizing biocultural knowledge to achieve more effective environmental protection and sustainability.

Biodiversity

The harsh climate and icy landscape of South Georgia limit plant life to fungi (including lichens) and non-vascular plants like mosses and liverworts. The flora is typical of the maritime Antarctic and shares similarities with the South Sandwich Islands and South Shetland Islands. Due to the extensive ice cover, vegetation is sparse, although snow algae have been recorded. The remaining plant life is mainly found in snow-free areas such as ridges, cliffs, and beaches. At Nyrøysa, five moss species, six fungi (including five lichens), and twenty types of algae have been documented. Most snow-free areas are steep and prone to avalanches, allowing only hardy lichens and algae to thrive. Additionally, there are six fungi species unique to the area, three of which are lichenized.