Page 54 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

SCIENCE

A year on Marion Island

A new three-year project focuses on major future changes that will happen on South Africa’s
Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. It will collect baseline data on birds before the eradication
of predatory invasive mice.

“House Mice are the only invasive mammal on Marion Island. dryer conditions due to climate change, the mouse population
They were introduced in the 1800s from sealing vessels. As small exploded. In addition to birds, the mice also impact plants and
as the mice are, they attack and kill birds, even large adult birds insects, destabilising the whole island ecosystem.
like albatrosses,” says Dr Maëlle Connan, a research fellow in the
Department of Zoology and the Marine Apex Predator Research A new project, Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) (https://
Unit (CMR) since 2017. In 2021, she secured a R1 510 000 DSI/NRF mousefreemarion.org/) is working towards eradicating mice at the
South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) grant for a island. It is a partnership between BirdLife South Africa and the
three-year Antarctic research programme – together with Professor Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and various
Peter Ryan (FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University researchers. Eradication will be by using bait and following strict
of Cape Town). This builds on their previous SANAP research protocols, as has successfully been done on a number of sub-
project which ran from 2018 – 2020. Antarctic islands.

In the 1950s, cats were introduced on Marion Island to control The new SANAP project will feed the MFM project with crucial
the mouse population but predation by cats had a major impact data to best plan the eradication, while protecting scavenging
on seabird populations. Thus cats were removed from the island birds on the island, notably the sub-Antarctic Skuas, Kelp Gulls and
by 1991. Without natural predators, and under warmer and Black-faced Sheathbills. “The eradication period needs to avoid

Greyheaded Albatross showing injuries from being preyed on
by mice. Photo: Stefan Schoombie Sub-Antarctic skua. Photo: Maelle Connan

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