Native name: Île Plate | |
|---|---|
 1857 map of Île Plate | |
  Flat Island Flat Island north of main island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 19°52′47″S57°40′05″E / 19.8797°S 57.668°E |
| Area | 2.53 km2 (0.98 sq mi) |
| Length | 1.9 km (1.18 mi) |
| Width | 1.9 km (1.18 mi) |
| Highest point | 95 |
| Administration | |
| Capital and largest city | Port Louis |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Île Plate, also known as Flat Island, is a small island in the Indian Ocean off the north coast of Mauritius. [1]
Île Plate is located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Cap Malheureux, the main island's northernmost point. It is part of the administrative area of Rivière du Rempart District. The small nature reserve of Coin de Mire lies between the two islands.[ citation needed ]
As its name suggests, Île Plate is low-lying, apart from a bluff, and is in danger of possible submersion due to the historical rise in the sea-level. It covers an area of 2.53 square kilometres (0.98 sq mi). Two small islets, Îlot Gabriel and Pigeon Rock, lie close to the shore of Île Plate. [2] The three sites are national protected areas (Pigeon Rock as part of Islets National Park). [3]
Île Plate is uninhabited, though there is a small army base on the island. [4]
A census conducted in 2007/2008 by the University of Mauritius classified 121 species of vascular plants, many of which are non-native. Among the indigenous plants present, the Latania loddigesii, Pandanus vandermeeschii, Psiadia arguta, as well as the reintroduced Dracaena concinna and Aloe tormentorii, imported from the island of Coin de Mire. [5]
The only mammals on the island are three species of bats: the Mauritian flying fox(Pteropus niger), the Mauritius tomb bat (Taphozous mauritianus) and the Natal free-tailed bat (Mormopterus acetabulosus). [5]
Three species of seabirds nest on the island: the Wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica), the Red-tailed Tropicbird(Phaethon Rubricauda) and the White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus). The rich vegetation of the interior of the island combined with the presence of wetlands also favor the nesting of the striated heron (Butorides striata) and occasionally also attract the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), the plover (Pluvialis squatarola) and the Ruddy turnstone(Arenaria interpres). Some exotic species such as the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), the red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) and the House sparrow (Passer domesticus) are present. [5]
The island was once home to the largest population of Bojer's skink (Gongylomorphus bojerii), once very common on the island of Mauritius, and now considered critically endangered. The population was decimated following the arrival of the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) on the island. [6] Other reptiles present are the Snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus boutonii), the Ornate day gecko(Phelsuma ornata) and the Lesser night gecko (Nactus coindemirensis). Three exotic species have also been introduced to the island: the geckos Hemidactylus frenatus, Gehyra mutilata and the fossorial snake Indotyphlops braminus(Typhlopidae).[ citation needed ]
The black rat (R. rattus) population of Gabriel and Flat Island was eradicated in 1995 and 1998, respectively. [7] [8]
Île Plate was approached during the Baudin expedition to Australia on March 15, 1801. Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent described it from aboard the Naturaliste : she is "much lower than the others; a beach of limestone makes it remarkable from afar, and appears with a dazzling white hue; the rest of its rocks are reddish or black". To explain these last colors, he refers to a certain Lilet, an engineer officer, who would have visited the reef and who told him he had found the debris of an ancient crater of volcano. [9]
One of Mauritius's few operating lighthouses, built in 1855, is found on the southwest side of the island. [10] [11] [4]
Flat Island was used as a quarantine station from the mid-19th century to the 1930s. It was reserved for immigrants to Mauritius, mostly indentured labourers, undergoing quarantine for cholera, although it was sometimes used during other epidemic outbreaks such as smallpox and malaria. Infrastructure was built between 1856 and 1870 and included stone and wooden buildings. These buildings comprised living quarters and offices for medical, police, and immigration officials in charge of the quarantine station and barracks for migrants placed in quarantine. Kitchens, stores, toilets, privies, two hospitals, and a distillation plant used for water supply were also constructed. Many of these structures are still preserved, though overgrown. A cemetery located on the southern side of the island is still recognizable for the presence of basalt structures and cairns on the top of some graves. [12] [4] [13]
Since 2014, Project MACH (Mauritian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage) of Stanford University in the U.S. has been researching the heritage of Flat Island [14] in collaboration with the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund [15] and National Parks and Conservation Services of Mauritius. [16] The primary purpose of the project is to document the remaining structures of the quarantine station, and to perform the overall assessment of archaeological potential of the island. The results will form part of a wider restoration and conservation plan to promote the preservation of this important cultural site. The planned archaeological investigation includes detailed surveys of infrastructure, paths, and architectural features pertaining to the quarantine station as well as the cemetery. Over the years, four archaeological campaigns have been performed through intensive survey and execution of test-pits, in particular around the provision store building, one of the hospitals, and one of the camps that hosted the immigrants during quarantine. Also planned are a geophysical survey of subsoil features, an environmental sampling for geoarchaeological analysis, and a detailed mapping of the island through the use of a drone. [17]
Île Plate is a popular venue for snorkellers, and access to the island is possible via chartered yacht and catamaran. Pigeon Rock harbors an internationally famous dive site called The Shark Pit where divers can witness sharks swirling within the pit for the rich oxygen available due to the crushing waves against the cliffs of Pigeon Rock. [18]
Aldabra, the world's second-largest coral atoll, is located east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 km (700 mi) southwest of the capital, Victoria on Mahé Island. Initially named by Arab seafarers for its harsh environment, Aldabra became a French colony dependency in the 18th century, leading to the exploitation of its natural resources, particularly giant tortoises. After passing through British hands, Aldabra faced potential military use in the 1960s, but international protests resulted in its protection. The atoll boasts unique geography, featuring the world's largest raised coral reef and a large shallow lagoon. Aldabra's history involves human impact, including failed agricultural ventures.
The Round Island day gecko, also known commonly as Günther's gecko, is an endangered species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the islet Round Island, Mauritius, and typically dwells on palm trees. The Round Island day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
The red-billed tropicbird is a tropicbird, one of three closely related species of seabird of tropical oceans. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has mostly white plumage with some black markings on the wings and back, a black mask and, as its common name suggests, a red bill. Most adults have tail streamers that are about two times their body length, with those in males being generally longer than those in females. The red-billed tropicbird itself has three subspecies recognized, including the nominate. The subspecies mesonauta is distinguished from the nominate by the rosy tinge of its fresh plumage, and the subspecies indicus can be differentiated by its smaller size, more restricted mask, and more orange bill. This species ranges across the tropical Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The nominate is found in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the subspecies indicus in the waters off of the Middle East and in the Indian Ocean, and the subspecies mesonauta in the eastern portions of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and in the Caribbean. It was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The red-tailed tropicbird is a seabird native to tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. One of three closely related species of tropicbird (Phaethontidae), it was described by Pieter Boddaert in 1783. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has almost all-white plumage with a black mask and a red bill. The sexes have similar plumage. As referenced in the common name, adults have red tail streamers that are about twice their body length. Four subspecies are recognised, but there is evidence of clinal variation in body size—with smaller birds in the north and larger in the south—and hence no grounds for subspecies.
The ecological restoration of islands, or island restoration, is the application of the principles of ecological restoration to islands and island groups. Islands, due to their isolation, are home to many of the world's endemic species, as well as important breeding grounds for seabirds and some marine mammals. Their ecosystems are also very vulnerable to human disturbance and particularly to introduced species, due to their small size. Island groups, such as New Zealand and Hawaii, have undergone substantial extinctions and losses of habitat. Since the 1950s several organisations and government agencies around the world have worked to restore islands to their original states; New Zealand has used them to hold natural populations of species that would otherwise be unable to survive in the wild. The principal components of island restoration are the removal of introduced species and the reintroduction of native species.
Saint Giles Island is the largest in a group of small islands off the north-eastern tip of Tobago, in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit conservation agency working in Mauritius and the Outer Islands to save threatened endemic local flora and fauna.
Round Island is an uninhabited islet 22.5 kilometres north of Mauritius. It has an area of 1.69 square kilometres and a maximum elevation of 280 metres. The island has been a nature reserve since 1957 and is administered jointly by the National Parks and Conservation Service and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
Leiolopisma telfairii, also known commonly as the Round Island ground skink, the Round Island skink, and Telfair's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Round Island, one of the islands of Mauritius.
Bojer's skink is a small species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Mauritius including some of its offshore islands.
The Islets of Mauritius include circa 130 tiny islets and rocks scattered around the coast of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega and St Brandon.
The wildlife of Mauritius consists of its flora and fauna. Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar. Due to its isolation, it has a relatively low diversity of wildlife; however, a high proportion of these are endemic species occurring nowhere else in the world. Many of these are now threatened with extinction because of human activities including habitat destruction and the introduction of non-native species. Some have already become extinct, most famously the dodo which disappeared in the 17th century.
The Round Island boa, also known commonly as the Round Island keel-scaled boa and the Round Island ground boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the monotypic genus Casarea in the family Bolyeriidae. The species is endemic to Round Island, Mauritius. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The wildlife of Réunion is composed of its flora, fauna and funga. Being a small island, it only has nine native species of mammals, but ninety-one species of birds.
Black River Gorges National Park is a national park in the hilly south-western part of Mauritius. It was proclaimed on June 15, 1994 and is managed by the National Parks and Conservation Service. It covers an area of 67.54 km2 including humid upland forest, drier lowland forest and marshy heathland. Facilities for visitors include two information centres, picnic areas and 60 kilometres of trails. There are four field stations in the park which are used for National Parks and Conservation Service and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation research and conservation projects. It is the largest national park in Mauritius.
The following is an index of Mauritius-related topics by alphabetical order. For a list by topic, see list of Mauritius-related topics
Carl Gwynfe Jones, MBE is a Welsh conservation biologist, who has been employed by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust since 1985, and a founding member (1984) and current scientific director of Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). Additionally he is Chief Scientist at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and an honorary professor in ecology and conservation biology at the University of East Anglia. Often outspoken on the importance of knowing your species and using intuition, empathy and practical knowledge over dogmatic education, Jones is best known for his work in recovering the Mauritius kestrel from just four individuals in 1974, to an estimated 400. Working in the Mascarene Islands since 1979, Jones has led five successful bird restoration projects where the starting population has numbered less than 12 individuals; as a consequence Mauritius has averted more bird extinctions than any other country. Jones has pioneered the use of ecological or taxon replacements to fill the ecological roles of extinct animals and successfully restored levels of endemic vegetation to previously denuded islets. Jones' work has been highlighted in Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine's 1990 radio documentary Last Chance to See, along with its accompanying book, as well as David Quammen's 1996 book The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions.
Islets National Park is a national park in Mauritius. The park is made up of eight small islands, the largest being Ile D'Ambre.
Ile aux Aigrettes is an islet off the south-east coast of Mauritius. It functions as a nature reserve and a scientific research station. It is also a popular visitors attraction—both for tourists and for Mauritians.
