Name details

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 143 Marine Plain, Mule Peninsula, Vestfold Hills

Informal Antarctic/sub-Antarctic Gazetteer Id 50043

Feature type: Protected area

Origin

This name originates from Australia. It is part of the Informal Antarctic/sub-Antarctic Gazetteer.

Narrative

FORMERLY: Site of Special Scientific Interest No. 25 Marine Plain, Mule Peninsula, Vestfold Hills The Site is of exceptional scientific interest because of its vertebrate fossil fauna. In addition to the dominant important fossils such as molluscs and diatoms, which define the age of the Pliocene marine sediments, the Site has yielded well-preserved vertebrate remains of a new species, genus and probably family of fossil dolphin and evidence of at least one other vertebrate species. Burton Lake, as a hypersaline lake which is still in seasonal connection with the sea, presents the opportunity for important limnological research. It represents a unique stage in the biological and physico-chemical evolution of a terrestrial water body from the marine environment. Burton Lake together with several of the smaller lakes, provide important examples of the spectrum of lake types in the Vestfold Hills. Davis, a permanently occupied Australian scientific station, is located on Broad Peninsula, the central peninsula of the Vestfold Hills, 6 km to the north-west of the Site. It is the focus of continuing biological, including limnological, studies within the Vestfold Hills. As a result of its proximity to Davis station, the scientific value of the Site could be diminished by accidental interference. The Site lies on the frequently used pedestrian route to the Mule Peninsula lakes (Clear, Laternula, Cemetery and McCallum) from Ellis Rapids and it is critical that fossil fauna should be protected from unrecorded sampling or collection.

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