South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands(SGSSI) is aBritish Overseas Territoryin the southernAtlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting ofSouth Georgiaand a chain of smaller islands known as theSouth Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 kilometres (103 mi) long and 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The territory's total land area is 3,903 km(1,507 sq mi).TheFalkland Islandsare about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) west from its nearest point.
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, and a very small non-permanent population resides on South Georgia.There are no scheduled passenger flights or ferries to or from the territory, although visits by cruise liners to South Georgia are increasingly popular, with several thousand visitors each summer.
The United Kingdom claimedsovereigntyover South Georgia in 1775 and the South Sandwich Islands in 1908. The territory of "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands" was formed in 1985;previously, it had been governed as part of theFalkland Islands Dependencies.Argentinaclaimed South Georgia in 1927 and claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1938.
Argentina maintained a naval station,Corbeta Uruguay, onThule Islandin the South Sandwich Islands from 1976 until 1982 when it was closed by theRoyal Navy. The Argentine claim over South Georgia contributed to the 1982Falklands War, during which Argentine forces briefly occupied the island. Argentinacontinues to claim sovereigntyover South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands as part of theTierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province.
The island of South Georgia was first sighted and visited in April 1675 byAnthony de la Roché, a London merchant and (despite his French name) an Englishman, who spent a fortnight in one of the island's bays.The island appeared asRoche Islandon early maps.The commercial Spanish shipLeón, operating out ofSaint-Malo, sighted it on 28 June or 29 June 1756.
James Cookcircumnavigated the islandin 1775 and made the first landing. He claimed the territory for theKingdom of Great Britain, naming it the "Isle of Georgia" in honour of KingGeorge III of the United Kingdom. British arrangements for the government of South Georgia were established under 1843 Britishletters patent.
In 1882–1883 aGermanexpedition for the firstInternational Polar Yearset up its base atRoyal Bayon the southeast side of the island. The scientists of this group observed thetransit of Venusand recorded waves produced by the1883 eruption of Krakatoa.Seal huntingat South Georgia began in 1786 and continued throughout the 19th century. The waters proved treacherous and a number of vessels were wrecked there, such asEarl Spencer, in late 1801.
South Georgia became a base forwhalingbeginning in the 20th century. A Norwegian,Carl Anton Larsen, established the first land-based whaling station and first permanent habitation atGrytvikenin 1904. It operated through hisArgentine Fishing Company, which settled in Grytviken.The station operated until 1965.Whaling stationsoperated under leases granted by the Governor of theFalkland Islands. The seven stations, all on the north coast with its sheltered harbours, were, from the west to east:
The whaling stations'tryworkswere unpleasant and dangerous places to work. One was called "acharnel houseboiling wholesale in Vaseline" by an early 20th-century visitor.Tim Flannerywrote that its "putrid vapors [resembled] the pong of bad fish, manure, and a tanning works mixed together", and noted one bizarre peril: "A rotting whale could fill with gas to bursting, ejecting a fetus the size of a motor vehicle with sufficient force to kill a man."
With the end of the whaling industry, the stations were abandoned. Apart from a few preserved buildings such as theSouth Georgia MuseumandNorwegian Lutheran Church at Grytviken, only their decaying remains survive. From 1905, the Argentine Meteorological Office cooperated in maintaining a meteorological observatory at Grytviken under the British lease requirements of the whaling station until these changed in 1949.
In 1908, the United Kingdom issued furtherletters patentthat established constitutional arrangements for its possessions in the South Atlantic. The letters covered South Georgia, theSouth Orkneys, theSouth Shetlands, the South Sandwich Islands, andGraham Land. The claim was extended in 1917 to include a sector of Antarctica reaching to theSouth Pole. In 1909, an administrative centre and residence were established at King Edward Point on South Georgia, near the whaling station of Grytviken. A permanent local British administration and resident magistrate exercised effectivepossession, enforcement ofBritish law, and regulation of all economic, scientific, and other activities in the territory, which was then governed as theFalkland Islands Dependencies. In about 1912, what is according to some accounts the largest whale ever caught, ablue whaleof 110 feet (34 m), was landed at Grytviken.
In April 1916,Ernest Shackleton'sImperial Trans-Antarctic Expeditionbecame stranded onElephant Island, some 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of South Georgia. Shackleton and five companions set out in a small boat to summon help, and on 10 May, after an epic voyage, they landed atKing Haakon Bayon South Georgia's south coast. While three stayed at the coast, Shackleton and the two others,Tom CreanandFrank Worsley, went on to cover 22 miles (35 km) over the spine of the mountainous island to reach help atStromnesswhaling station. The remaining 22 members of the expedition, who had stayed on Elephant Island, were subsequently rescued. In January 1922, during alater expedition, Shackleton died on board ship while moored in King Edward Cove, South Georgia. He is buried at Grytviken. The ashes of another noted Antarctic explorer,Frank Wild, who had been Shackleton's second-in-command on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, were interred next to Shackleton in 2011.
Argentina claimed South Georgia in 1927.The basis of this claim and of a later claim in 1938 to the South Sandwich Islands has been questioned.During theSecond World War, the Royal Navy deployed an armed merchant vessel to patrol South Georgian and Antarctic waters against German raiders, along with two four-inch shore guns (still present) protecting Cumberland Bay and Stromness Bay, which were operated by volunteers from among the Norwegian whalers. The base at King Edward Point was expanded as a research facility in 1949–1950 by theBritish Antarctic Survey, which until 1962 was called the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey.
TheFalklands Warwas precipitated on 19 March 1982 when a group of Argentinians (most of themArgentine Marinesinmufti), posing as scrap-metal merchants, occupied the abandoned whaling station atLeith Harbouron South Georgia. On 3 April, Argentine troopsattacked and occupied Grytviken. Among the commanding officers of the Argentine garrison wasAlfredo Astiz, a captain in theArgentine Navywho was convicted years later of crimes against humanity committed during theDirty Warin Argentina. The island was recaptured by British forces on 25 April, inOperation Paraquet.
In 1985, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ceased to be administered as a Falkland Islands Dependency and became a separate territory. TheKing Edward Pointbase, which had become a small military garrison after the Falklands War, returned to civilian use in 2001 and is now operated by theBritish Antarctic Survey.
CaptainJames Cookdiscovered the southern eight islands of the Sandwich Islands Group in 1775, although he lumped the southernmost three together, and their status as separate islands was not established until 1820 byFabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen.The northern three islands were discovered by Bellingshausen in 1819. The islands were tentatively named "Sandwich Land" by Cook, although he also commented that they might be a group of islands rather than a single body of land. The name was chosen in honour ofJohn Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was First Lord of the Admiralty. The word "South" was later added to distinguish them from the "Sandwich Islands", now known as theHawaiian Islands.
Southern Thule, at the south end of the island chain, is the southernmost land on Earth outside the area covered by theAntarctic Treaty.
Argentina claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1938, and challenged British sovereignty in the Islands on several occasions. From 25 January 1955 to mid-1956, Argentina maintained the summer station, "Teniente Esquivel" (es) atFerguson Bayon the southeastern coast ofThule Island. Argentina maintained a naval base (Corbeta Uruguay) from 1976 to 1982, in the lee (southern east coast) of the same island. Although the British discovered the presence of the Argentine base in 1976,protested and tried to resolve the issue by diplomatic means, no effort was made to remove them by force until after theFalklands War. The base was removed on 20 June 1982.
The sole official language of the territory is English, which is widely spoken amongst residents currently and used for nearly all administrative functions in the territory.Although English is used in the majority of government functions, the islands' mottoLeo Terram Propriam Protegatis in Latin and is translated as "May the Lion protect his own land".The adoption of new placenames was governed by thePlace-names Ordinance of 1956andPlace-names Regulation of 1957until 11 September 2020, when a representative was appointed to the regional Antarctic Place-names Committee and a new list of three criteria was created for deciding new names within the territory.
During British captainJames Cook's navigation of the islands, he set a standard for the adoption of new names in the territory based on four categories: expedition sponsors, the names of officers and crew, notable contemporary events, and descriptive names referring to the physical nature of the place or geographic formation.This standard was mostly followed by later visitors in the region, including by explorers from different countries, such as Russian explorerFabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who selected six new names within the territory in his 1819-1821 Antarctic expedition.
Locations currently bearing names selected by Cook includeClerke Rocks,Possession Bay, andBay of Isles, amongst others.Additional English names given many years after in recognition of past visits byAmerican whalersin the territory includeMorrell Point,Wasp Point,Pacific Point, andComer Crag.Prominent Russian-language names chosen by Bellingshausen include theTraversay Islands,Zavodovski Island, andVisokoi Island(высокийmeaning "high").There is also aLowland Scotslanguage presence within the topography of the territory, with some locations being named after notable Scottish individuals, such asGeikie GlacierandAllardyce Range,amongst others.
A number of placenames were influenced by the historical presence ofNorwegian whalers,includingHestesletten("horse's plain"),Skrap Skerries("skrapskjaer" or "skrapskjar"),Grytviken("Pot Bay"),andElsehul("Else's hole"),as well as a few whaling stations such asGodthul("good hollow").The first person to be born in South Georgia (and south of theAntarctic Convergence),Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen, was also Norwegian.The small coveMaiviken, located in theThatcher peninsula, was originally given the Swedish nameMajvikenmeaning "MayBay" but was later altered into its current Norwegian spelling.In addition, numerous German placenames were also adopted in recognition of theGerman International Polar Year Expeditionof 1882-1883 and an earlier American whaling voyage in 1877-1878 carrying Austrian painterHeinrich Klutschak, withKlutschak PointandSchrader Glaciercommemorating the two trips.
There has been a Spanish language presence in the territory for a significant amount of time, with the whaling companyCompañía Argentina de Pescaoperating in the territory for approximately 60 years.However, there are relatively few Spanish names within the territory currently, in part due toongoing sovereignty disputeover the islands by Argentina, although since the beginning of Argentine Antarctic Expeditions in 1952, a number of locations have been given Spanish names, includingPunta CarbónandPunta Hueca.AnArgentine naval stationcalledCorbeta Uruguaywas clandestinely built onThule Island,South Sandwich Islands, on 7 November 1976 before its abandonment byArgentine forcesfollowing their defeat in theFalklands War.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a collection of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous. At higher elevations, the islands are permanently covered with ice and snow.
The South Georgia Group lies about 1,390 kilometres (860 mi; 750 nmi) east-southeast of the Falkland Islands, at 54°–55°S, 36°–38°W. It comprisesSouth Georgia Islanditself, by far the largest island in the territory, and the islands that immediately surround it and some remote and isolated islets to the west and east-southeast. It has a total land area of 3,756 square kilometres (1,450 sq mi), including satellite islands, but excluding the South Sandwich Islands which form a separate island group.
South Georgia Island lies at54°15′S36°45′W﻿ / ﻿54.250°S 36.750°W﻿ /-54.250; -36.750and has an area of 3,528 square kilometres (1,362 sq mi). It is mountainous and largely barren. Eleven peaks rise to over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) high, their slopes furrowed with deep gorges filled with glaciers; the largest isFortuna Glacier. The highest peak isMount Pagetin theAllardyce Rangeat 2,934 metres (9,626 ft).
Geologically, the island consists ofgneissandargillaceous schistswith occasional tuffs and other sedimentary layers from which fossils have been recovered.The island is a fragment of some greater land-mass now vanished and was probably a former extension of theAndean system.
Smaller islands and islets off the coast of South Georgia Island include:
These remote rocks are also considered part of the South Georgia Group:
The South Sandwich Islands comprise 11 mostlyvolcanicislands (excluding tiny satellite islands and offshore rocks), with some active volcanoes. They form anisland arcrunning north–south in the region 56°18'–59°27'S, 26°23'–28°08'W, between about 350 and 500 mi (300 and 430 nmi; 560 and 800 km) southeast of South Georgia. The archipelago comprisesCandlemas,Vindication,Saunders,Montagu,Bristol,Bellingshausen,CookandThulediscovered by Cook, and Thule.
The northernmost of the South Sandwich Islands form theTraversay IslandsandCandlemas Islandsgroups, while the southernmost make upSouthern Thule. The three largest islands –Saunders,Montagu, andBristol– lie between the two. The islands' highest point isMount Belinda(1,370 m or 4,495 ft) on Montagu Island. The fourth highest peak,Mount Michael(990 m or 3,248 ft) on Saunders Island has a persistentlava lake, known to occur at only eight volcanoes in the world.
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, though a permanently staffed Argentine research station was located on Thule Island from 1976 to 1982. Automaticweather stationsare on Thule Island andZavodovski. To the northwest of Zavodovski Island is theProtector Shoal, a submarine volcano.
The climate is classified as polar, and the weather is highly variable and harsh, making atundra(ET) inKöppen climate classification. Typical daily maximum temperatures in South Georgia at sea level are around 0 °C (32 °F) in winter (August) and 8 °C (46.4 °F) in summer (January). Winter minimum temperatures are typically about −5 °C (23 °F) and rarely dip below −10 °C (14 °F). Annual precipitation in South Georgia is about 1,500 mm (59.1 in), much of which falls as sleet or snow, which is possible the entire year. Inland, the snow line in summer is at an altitude of about 300 m (984 ft).
Westerly winds blow throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm—indeed, in 1963, 25% of winds were in the calm category at King Edward Point, and the mean wind speed of around 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) is around half that of the Falkland Islands. This gives the eastern side of South Georgia (leeward side) a more pleasant climate than the exposed western side. The prevailing weather conditions generally make the islands difficult to approach by ship, though the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays which provide good anchorage.
Sunshine, as with many South Atlantic Islands, is low, at a maximum of just 21.5%. This amounts to around 1,000 hours of sunshine annually. The localtopography, however, also contributes significantly to the lowinsolation. A study published during the early 1960sindicated that sunshine recording instruments remained significantly obscured throughout the year and entirely obscured during June. It was estimated that the theoretical sunshine exposure minus obstructions would be around 14% at Bird Island and 35% at King Edward Point – or, in hourly terms, ranging from around 650 hours in the west to 1,500 hours in the east. This illustrates the effect the Allardyce Range has in breaking up cloud cover.
Mountain winds rise over the western slopes of the mountains of South Georgia and down the eastern side and become much warmer and drier due to theFöhn effect; this produces the most pleasant conditions when temperatures can occasionally rise to over 20 °C (68 °F) on summer days. The highest temperature recorded at the King Edward Point meteorological station (often generically and less accurately called Grytviken) on the sheltered eastern side of South Georgia is 28.8 °C (83.8 °F).Conversely, the highest recorded temperature at Bird Island on the windward western side is a mere 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). As one might expect, the sheltered eastern side can also record lower winter temperatures—the absolute minimum temperature for King Edward Point is −19.4 °C (−2.9 °F), but Bird Island just −11.4 °C (11.5 °F).
The seas surrounding South Georgia are cold throughout the year due to the proximity of theAntarctic Circumpolar Current. They usually remain free of pack ice in winter, though thin ice may form in sheltered bays, andicebergsare common.Sea temperatures drop to 0 °C (32 °F) in late August and rise to around 4 °C (39.2 °F) only in early April.
The South Sandwich Islands are much colder than South Georgia, being farther south and more exposed to cold outbreaks from the Antarctic continent. They are also surrounded by sea ice from the middle of May to late November (even longer at their southern end).Recorded temperature extremes at South Thule Island have ranged from −29.8 to 17.7 °C (−21.6 to 63.9 °F).
Executive power is vested in themonarch of the United Kingdomand is exercised by theCommissioner, a post held by theGovernor of the Falkland Islands. The current Commissioner isAlison Blake, who took the post on 1 July 2022.
The executive, based in Stanley, Falkland Islands, is made up of a Chief Executive, three Directors, two managers, and a Business Support Officer.
The Financial Secretary and Attorney General of the territory are appointedex officiosimilar appointments in the Falkland Islands' government.
On the island itself, Government Officers manage vessel visits, fishing and tourism, and represent the government 'on the ground'. A summer Deputy Postmaster runs the Post Office at Grytviken during the tourism season.
As no permanent inhabitants live on the islands, nolegislative counciland no elections are needed. The UKForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office(FCDO) manages the foreign relations of the territory. Since 1982, the territory celebratesLiberation Dayon 25 April.
The constitution of the territory (adopted 3 October 1985), the manner in which its government is directed and the availability of judicial review were discussed in a series of litigations between 2001 and 2005 (see, in particular,Regina v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Appellant) ex parte Quark Fishing Limited[2005] UKHL 57). Although its government is directed by the FCDO, it was held that, since it was acting as an agent ofthe Crownin right of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands rather than in right of the UK, its decisions under that direction could not be challenged as if they were in law decisions of a UK government department;thus the European Convention on Human Rights did not apply.
Commercialsealingoccurred on the islands between 1817 and 1909. During that period 20 visits are recorded by sealing vessels.
Economic activity in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is limited. The territory has revenues of £6.3 million, 80% of which is derived from fishing licences (2020 figures).Other sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps and coins, tourism, and customs and harbour dues.
Fishing takes place around South Georgia and in adjacent waters in some months of the year, with fishing licences sold by the territory forPatagonian toothfish,cod icefishandkrill. Fishing licences bring in millions of pounds a year, most of which is spent on fishery protection and research. All fisheries are regulated and managed in accordance with theConvention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR) system.
In 2001 the South Georgia government was cited by theMarine Stewardship Councilfor its sustainable Patagonian toothfish fishery, certifying that South Georgia met the MSC's environmental standards. The certificate places limits on the timing and quantity of Patagonian toothfish that may be caught.
Fisheries and environmental protection is the responsibility of the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) which contracts with Workboat Services Limited (WBS), a Falkland Islands company, to operate the vessel MVPharos SGin the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Maritime Zone. The current contract for that service runs until 2028.
Toothfishare vital to the islands' economy; as a result,Toothfish Dayis celebrated on 4 September as abank holidayin the territory.
Tourismhas become a larger source of income in recent years, with many cruise ships and sailing yachts visiting the area (the only way to visit South Georgia is by sea; there are no airstrips on the Islands). The territory gains income from landing charges and the sale of souvenirs.Cruise shipsoften combine a Grytviken visit with a trip to theAntarctic Peninsula.
Charter yacht visits usually begin in the Falkland Islands, last between four and six weeks, and enable guests to visit remote harbours of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Sailing vessels are now required to anchor out and can no longer tie up to the old whaling piers on shore. One exception to this is the recently upgraded/repaired yacht berth at Grytviken. All other jetties at former whaling stations lie inside a 200 m (656 ft) exclusion zone; berthing, or putting ropes ashore, at these is forbidden. Yachts visiting South Georgia are normally expected to report to the government officers at King Edward Point before moving round the island.
A large source of income from abroad also comes from the issue of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands postage stamps which are produced in the UK.
A reasonable issue policy (few sets of stamps are issued each year) along with attractive subject matter (especially whales) makes them popular withtopical stamp collectors.
There are only four genuinefirst day coversets from 16 March 1982 in existence. They were stamped at the South Georgia Post Office; all those in circulation were stamped elsewhere and sent out, but the only genuine ones were kept at the Post Office on South Georgia. These four sets were removed during the Falklands War by a member of staff of the British Antarctic Survey in the few moments the Argentinians allowed them to gather their belongings. Everything else was burnt, but these four sets were saved and brought to the UK by Robert Headland, BAS.
Thepound sterlingis the official currency of the islands, and the same notes and coins are used as in the United Kingdom.
TheInternetcountry codetop-level domain(ccTLD) for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is.gs.
The parts of the islands that are not permanently covered in snow or ice are part of theScotia SeaIslandstundraecoregion. In total there are 26 known species ofvascular plantnative to South Georgia; six species ofgrass, fourrushes, a singlesedge, sixferns, oneclubmossand nine smallforbs. There are also about 125 species ofmoss, 85 ofliverwortsand 150lichens, as well as about 50 species of macrofungi.There are no trees or shrubs on the islands.
The largest plant is the tussock grassPoa flabellata. This grows mostly on raised beaches and steep slopes near the shore and may reach 2 m (7 ft). Other grasses include the tufted fescue (Festuca contracta), the Alpine cat's-tail (Phleum alpinum) and Antarctic hair-grass (Deschampsia antarctica), and one of the most common flowering plants is the greater burnet (Acaena magellanica).
A number of introduced species have become naturalised; many of these were introduced by whalers in cattle fodder, and some are considered invasive.
There have been 76 introduced plant species recorded in South Georgia. 35 of these are considered eradicated, with 41 still considered present on the island. 33 of these species are planned for eradication by 2020.It is considered important to control the spread of these exotic species as they readily enter this vulnerable, pristine ecosystem and outcompete populations of native flora for resources (e.g. light, nutrients) and negatively affect small, fragile habitats for the South Georgia fauna.
Current pest plant management efforts began in the early 2000s and are primarily targeted toward the species with easier expectations of eradication in the near-term (such as bittercress and procumbent pearlwort), with remaining species to be targeted in future seasons. These programmes involved the collaboration of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Government, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, UK Darwin Initiative and private contractors.
The introduced plant species of South Georgia arrived primarily alongside human economic activities in the island and were mostly accidental, (before visitors had an understanding of their consequences). Annual meadow grass (Poa annua) is believed to have arrived approximately 1800 with the first sealers, and is now widespread across the island, particularly old sealing and whaling sites. Dandelions are believed to have been introduced alongside whaling operations, via the practice of including a handful of soil from the deceased whaler's home country. Bittercress was first spotted in 2002 and is thought to have arrived alongside building supplies at King Edward Cove. Introductions have since slowed in recent decades with the introduction of thorough biosecurity protocols. Non-native species management will require several years of regular, dedicated follow-up treatments to ensure that all germinating seed currently in the soil is controlled prior to maturity before success will be achieved.
South Georgia supports many sea birds, includingalbatross, a large colony ofking penguins, Macaroni penguinsandpenguinsof various other species, along withpetrels,prions,shags,skuas,gullsandterns. Birds unique to the archipelago are theSouth Georgia shag,South Georgia pipit, and theSouth Georgia pintail. Both South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have been identified asImportant Bird Areas(IBA) byBirdLife International.
Sealsfrequent the islands, andwhalesmay be seen in the surrounding waters. There are no native land mammals, thoughreindeer,brown ratsandmicewere introduced to South Georgia through human activities.
Rats, brought to the island as stowaways on sealing and whaling ships in the late 18th century,have caused much damage to native wildlife, destroying tens of millions of ground-nesting birds' eggs and chicks. While previously the island's glaciers formed a natural barrier to the spread of rats, these glaciers are now slowly melting as the climate warms.In 2011, scientists instituted a four-year programme to entirely eradicate the rats and mice, in what would be by far the largest rodent eradication attempt in the world to date.The project was led by zoologist Anthony Martin ofThe University of Dundeewho stated, "This is a man-induced problem and it's about time that man put right earlier errors."In July 2013, the success of the main phase of the extermination of the rats, which took place in May that year, was announced. 180 tonnes of rat poison,brodifacoum, were dropped over 70% of the island, in what was the world's largest ever operation of this kind.Another 95 tonnes of rat poison was planned to be dropped by three helicopters in January 2015.In June 2015 the eradication programme concluded, apparently successfully, with the island believed "very likely" to be rat free. In 2017–18, an intensive six-month search by the South Georgia Heritage Trust, using sniffer dogs and baited traps, found no evidence of rodent presence.Monitoring will continue for a further two or three years.In 2018, the number of South Georgia pipits had clearly increased.
Reindeer were introduced to South Georgiain 1911 by Norwegian whalers for meat and for sport hunting. In February 2011, the authorities announced that due to the reindeer's detrimental effect on native species and the threat of their spreading to presently pristine areas, a complete cull would take place, leading to the eradication of reindeer from the island.The eradication began in 2013 with 3,500 reindeer killed. Nearly all the rest were killed in early 2014, with the last (about 50) cleared in the 2014–15 southern summer.
The seas around South Georgia have a high level ofbiodiversity. In a recent study (2009–2011), South Georgia has been discovered to contain one of the highest levels of biodiversity among all theecosystemson Earth.In respect to species, marine inhabitants endemic to this ecosystem outnumber and (in respect to biodiversity) surpass well-known regions such as theGalápagosorEcuador.The marine ecosystem is thought to be vulnerable because its low temperatures mean that it can repair itself only very slowly.On 23 February 2012, to protect marine biodiversity, the territory's government created the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area – comprising 1.07 million km(410,000 sq mi).
After the Falklands War in 1982, a full-time British military presence was maintained atKing Edward Pointon South Georgia. This was scaled down during the 1990s until the last detachment left South Georgia in March 2001, after a new station had been built and occupied by theBritish Antarctic Survey.
The main British military facility in the region is atRAF Mount Pleasantand the adjacentMare Harbournaval base onEast Falkland, and threeRemote Radar Headson the Falklands:RRH Mount Kent,RRH Byron HeightsandRRH Mount Alice. A handful of British naval vessels patrol the region, visiting South Georgia a few times each year and sometimes deploying small infantry patrols. Flights by RAFAirbus A400MandAirbus A330 MRTT(named Atlas and Voyager by the RAF respectively) aircraft also occasionally patrol the territory.
A Royal Navy warship carries out theAtlantic Patrol Tasking Southmission in the surrounding area.
HMSEndurance, the Royal Navy ice-patrol ship, operated in the South Georgia area during part of most southern summer seasons until her near loss due to flooding in 2008. She carried out hydrological and mapping work as well as assisting with scientific fieldwork for the British Antarctic Survey, film and photographic units, and youth expedition groupBSES Expeditions. While the final decision on the fate ofEndurancewas pending, the Royal Navy chartered a Norwegian icebreaker, renamedHMSProtector, to act as replacement for three years.In September 2013 the BritishMinistry of Defencepurchased the ship outright.It was announced on 7 October 2013 thatEndurancewould be sold for scrap.