Prince Edward Islands

The Prince Edward Islands are a pair of uninhabited subantarctic volcanic islands. They sit in the southern Indian Ocean, southeast of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

These islands consist of Marion Island and the smaller Prince Edward Island. Marion Island is the larger of the two. It features a long coastline of about 120 kilometers, much of which is made of high cliffs. Prince Edward Island lies some 25 kilometers to the northeast. It is much smaller, measuring only 3 by 3 kilometers. Both islands are administered by South Africa. They are protected as Special Nature Reserves under the South African Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act of 2003. In 2013, the surrounding waters became a marine protected area. This makes the region one of the largest environmental protection areas in the world.

The islands were formed through volcanic activity. Marion Island is actually one of the peaks of a massive underwater shield volcano. This volcano rises from the sea floor to reach the top of Mascarin Peak. This peak is the highest point on Marion Island. The volcano is active, with recorded eruptions occurring between 1980 and 2004. Prince Edward Island is also of volcanic origin. It may have erupted within the last 10,000 years. The terrain on Prince Edward Island is generally rocky. It features high cliffs reaching 200 meters on its southwestern side. The highest point there is van Zinderen Bakker Peak, which reaches 175 meters.

The islands have a tundra climate. This means the weather is unusually cool and windy throughout the year. They sit directly in the path of eastward-moving depressions. Strong regional winds called the roaring forties blow almost every day. The prevailing wind direction is north-westerly. The islands are among the cloudiest places on Earth. The western sides of the islands receive only about 800 hours of sunshine annually. The sheltered eastern side of Marion Island receives about 1,300 hours. Summer and winter climates are fairly similar. There is a constant threat of snow or frost. In February, the mean temperature is about 6 degrees Celsius. In August, the mean temperature is about 1 degree Celsius.

Exploration of the islands began in the 17th century. In 1663, a ship named the Maerseveen reached the islands. These early records were erroneous, as the location was recorded incorrectly. In 1772, the French captain Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visited the islands.

He named them Terre de l'Espérance and Ile de la Caverne. Later, the explorer James Cook passed the islands in 1776. He named them after Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III. The name Marion was later adopted by sealers and whalers. The sealing era lasted from 1799 to 1913. During this time, 103 vessels visited the islands. Seven of these visits ended in shipwrecks.

Shipwrecks have a long history in these waters. In 1849, the brig Richard Dart was wrecked on Prince Edward Island. Only 10 of the 63 people on board survived. They were rescued by elephant seal hunters. In 1908, the Norwegian vessel Solglimt was shipwrecked on Marion Island. The survivors established a short-lived village on the north coast. The wreck of the Solglimt is now accessible to divers. In 1947 and 1948, South Africa annexed the islands with British agreement. This was done to manage the islands as technological advancements increased their strategic importance. A meteorological station was established at Transvaal Cove on Marion Island.

The islands are a critical site for biological and astrophysical research. The Marion Research Station is the only human presence on the islands. Staff members study meteorology and biology. They monitor penguins, petrels, albatrosses, gulls, and seals. In recent years, scientists have also used the islands for cosmology. In 2017, the PRIZM experiment began searching for signatures of the early universe. In 2018, the ALBATROS experiment was launched to map low-frequency radio emissions. These studies help researchers understand the "Dark Ages" of the universe. The station is accessed only by boat or helicopter.

The ecosystem is vital because of the lack of other land masses in the Southern Ocean. The islands host a wide variety of species. Plants are limited to grasses, mosses, and kelp. Lichens are also very visible. The islands support an estimated 8 million seabirds in total.

This includes upwards of 5 million breeding seabirds. Five species of albatross breed there, including the wandering albatross. These species are often threatened or endangered. The islands are designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. Large populations of seals and insects, such as the seaweed-eating weevil, also live here.