Antipodes Island, New Zealand

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Photo: K. Walker

PROJECT MISSION To restore the Antipodes Islands, so that it is one of the safest and most pristine places in the world for its unique assemblage of rare plants, birds, and invertebrates.

PROJECT VISION Antipodes Islands’ native species are no longer at risk of extinction and its ecosystems are healthy and functioning. Photo: K. Walker THE PROBLEM WHY ARE THE ANTIPODES Invasive mice eat invertebrates, plants, and seeds, and prey on bird chicks and eggs. IMPORTANT? In other parts of the world, introduced house mice devastated breeding seabird • 60 bird species recorded populations—killing and eating eggs and chicks of even the largest of albatrosses. from the Antipodes group Competition for resources and predation has altered the biodiversity of the Antipodes including 4 species of land Islands. Mice have already eliminated two insect species on Antipodes Island and birds found nowhere else in continue to degrade the islands’ ecosystems. the world (endemic) and 21 species of breeding seabirds THE SOLUTION • Home to 74 native species To protect native species and restore the ecosystem, the New Zealand Department of of vascular plants, including Conservation, WWF-New Zealand, The Morgan Foundation, Heritage Expeditions, the four endemic species New Zealand public, and Island Conservation are partnering together for the Million • Support 150 insect species Dollar Mouse project, a campaign to remove invasive mice from Antipodes Island. and 20 arachnid species The Antipodes Islands consists of the main island 2 including 9 species new to of Antipodes (20 km or 7.7 sq. mi), mouse-free Bollons Island to the north, and a series of small offshore science islands and rocks. Located in the sub-Antarctic • Four species of seals are areas south of mainland New Zealand, the volcanic known to live on or visit the Antipodes Islands are a Nature Reserve, UNESCO Antipodes Islands World Heritage Area, and Important Bird Area due to their significance as a breeding site for numerous bird species. ANTIPODES ISLAND RESTORATION PROJECT The Antipodes Islands are home to a wide variety of sea and land bird species including the Antipodes Snipe, Antipodes Pipit, and Antipodes Parakeet found nowhere else in the world. The seabirds range from the Tiny Storm-petrel to the Antipodean Wandering Albatross, one of the largest flying birds in the world. Thousands of seabirds nest on the main Antipodes Island and marine mammals fill the shores and surrounding waters.

Invasive mice were accidentally introduced to Antipodes Island in the 19th century, possibly by shipwrecks. High densities of invasive mice are destroying the natural ecosystem cycle on Antipodes Island, predominantly by consuming invertebrates, vegetation, and possibly bird eggs and chicks.

Following removal of invasive mice, we expect a significant increase in native invertebrates, which will aid in the natural recovery of the ecosystem, along with native seeds and vulnerable plants. The return of some smaller seabirds currently limited in distribution and population size to the outer mouse-free islands is also anticipated.

SAVING NEW ZEALAND’S RAREST SPECIES

1. ANTIPODES ISLAND PARAKEET The Antipodes Island Parakeet is endemic to the Antipodes Islands, one of two parrot species found on the islands, and one of only five ground-dwelling parrots in the world. They may live up to 10-years-of-age, but the introduction of mice that compete for food is a threat to their survival on the Antipodes Islands. Antipodes Island is one of the very few places on Earth where parrots can be found breeding alongside penguins and albatrosses. Photo: Scott Jarvie 2. ANTIPODEAN WANDERING ALBATROSS Twenty-one species of seabirds breed on the Antipodes Islands including the endemic Antipodes Wandering Albatross, which is classified in New Zealand as Nationally Critical. Albatrosses spend most of their lives at sea, returning to land (usually remote islands) to breed and raise their young. Their naturally- low reproductive rate, combined with changes in climate and habitat conditions and certain fishing practices, makes these seabirds vulnerable. Research on other sub-Antarctic islands (Gough and Marion) where mice are the sole mammalian predator, shows that they have evolved to attack and eat live albatross chicks. Photo: K. Walker 3. INVERTEBRATES Comparison between invertebrates on Antipodes Island and nearby mouse-free Bollons Island indicate that mice have had a major impact on both the abundance and faunal composition of the Antipodes Island invertebrates. Evidence suggests that invasive mice caused the extinction of two invertebrate species on Antipodes Island. The presence of invasive mice on Antipodes Island may explain the apparent absence of large ground-dwelling invertebrates there, which are found on other rodent-free New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands. Photo: J. Marris 4. NATIVE PLANTS The Antipodes Islands are home to 74 native species of vascular plants, including four that are endemic to the islands. The rarest and most endangered species on Antipodes Island is Scurvy Grass, which is shared with the Chatham Islands. There are three major potential impacts upon the flora that could be resulting from invasive mice—these include browsing of plants, seed predation, and indirect impacts resulting from impacts to fauna. Photo: A. Ballance 5. ERECT-CRESTED PENGUIN The Endangered Erect-crested Penguin is one of the largest crested penguin species and perhaps the most mysterious. Their winters are spent at sea in the sub-Antarctic oceans, although the exact location is unknown. They breed primarily in the Antipodes and Bounty Islands. On some sub-Antarctic islands invasive house mice are known to kill and eat eggs and chicks of even the largest seabird species. Removal of invasive house mice from Antipode Island will ensure these penguins and other seabirds have safe breeding habitat. Photo: K. Walker