Remote islands are biodiversity strongholds, but they’re also vulnerable to fire

In our newest research article, we document lightning-ignited #bushfires on islands from the sub-Antarctic to the tropics. These islands are of global biodiversity importance, and without intervention, fire events can burn large portions of islands, with catastrophic consequences for flora and fauna, including #seabirds.

Study sites: we use five case studies to demonstrate the consequences of fire at globally recognised seabird breeding colonies around the world: #WesternAustralia (2), the #FalklandIslands (2) and #Madeira (1). Each of these occurs in a different climate zone, demonstrating the prevalence of fire as a global threat.

Results & recommendations: Faster detection and response to fire would likely have resulted in significantly reduced loss of wildlife and habitat. Given the rate of global extinction, a higher priority and resource allocation towards fire detection, monitoring and response is needed for remote islands #phdlife#DryLightning#ClimateChange#birds

Read the article (and view more of our incredible imagery): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111859

Congratulations to Amy Steel – this is the first paper from her PhD thesis. A huge achievement, and a very special day. Gratitude to our project partners and supporters, including Falklands Conservation, some generous folks in Kepa Kurl/Esperance, and numerous staff at Curtain University.

Caption for the photos above: Figure of Eight Island in Western Australia catches fire after being struck by lightning on 17 Feb 2020 (left panel), around 80% of the island has burned as of 8 Mar 2020 (right panel).