Lynch Island facts for kids
Lynch Island is a small island located in a place called Marshall Bay. It's very close to the southern coast of Coronation Island. Both of these are part of the South Orkney Islands, which are far away in Antarctica.
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Discovering Lynch Island
Lynch Island was first roughly mapped between 1912 and 1913. This was done by Petter Sørlle, who was a captain from Norway. He was likely exploring the area. Later, in 1933, people from the Discovery Investigations did a more detailed survey of the island.
The island was surveyed again in 1948–49 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee then officially named it Lynch Island. It was named after Thomas Lynch, an American who visited the South Orkney Islands in 1880. He was a sealer, meaning he hunted seals for their fur or oil. He arrived on a ship called the Express.
A Special Protected Area
Lynch Island is very important for its nature. Because of this, it has been named an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 110). This means it's a special place that needs to be protected.
Amazing Plant Life
The island is protected because it has amazing and rich plant communities. It's home to the only two types of flowering plants that grow in Antarctica! These are the Antarctic hair grass and the Antarctic pearlwort. You can find lots of these plants growing on Lynch Island.
Tiny Creatures in the Soil
The soil where these grasses grow is also very special. It's full of many different kinds of invertebrates. Invertebrates are small animals without backbones, like insects or worms. This makes the island a unique place to study life in Antarctica.
