World Heritage Identification Number: 877
World Heritage since: 1998
Category: Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Continent: Oceania
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands: A Unique Biodiverse Haven in the Southern Ocean
The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, a collective designation of five island groups, constitute a unique and significant part of the New Zealand outlying islands. This archipelago, located in the Southern Ocean southeast of New Zealand, is recognized globally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its exceptional biodiversity, high levels of productivity, and endemic species.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands consist of five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) in the Southern Ocean south-east of New Zealand. The islands, lying between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences and the seas, have a high level of productivity, biodiversity, wildlife population densities and endemism among birds, plants and invertebrates. They are particularly notable for the large number and diversity of pelagic seabirds and penguins that nest there. There are 126 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds of which eight breed nowhere else in the world.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ix): The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands display a pattern of immigration of species, diversifications and emergent endemism, offering particularly good opportunities for research into the dynamics of island ecology.
Criterion (x): The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands are remarkable for their high level of biodiversity, population densities,and for endemism in birds, plants and invertebrates. The bird and plant life, especially the endemic albatrosses, cormorants, landbirds and “megaherbs” are unique to the islands.
Encyclopedia Record: New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands comprise the five southernmost groups of the New Zealand outlying islands. They are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Additional Site Details
Area: 76,458 hectares
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: -50.75 , 166.1044444
