Australia is taking an extraordinary precautionary measure on Macquarie Island: Due to the threat of the spread of the highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza, the research station’s staff is to be temporarily evacuated from the sub-Antarctic island. The virus has not yet been detected there, but experiences on Heard Island give cause for serious concern.
On Macquarie Island, about 1,500 kilometers southeast of Tasmania, 24 scientists, technicians, and other staff members from the Australian Antarctic Program are currently working. They are to leave the island temporarily. The Australian government cites, in particular, the potential psychological strain caused by the mass death of wildlife as the reason for this unusual step.
The research station is located right next to large animal colonies. Macquarie Island is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and one of the most important breeding grounds in the Southern Ocean. At times, millions of seabirds as well as tens of thousands of seals and elephant seals gather there.
The devastating impact of H5 was evident on Heard Island. There, the virus was detected in southern elephant seals as early as 2025. As a result, thousands of juveniles died; exceptionally high mortality rates were observed locally.
H5 has not yet been detected on Macquarie Island. However, experts fear that infected seabirds or marine mammals could introduce the virus. The upcoming breeding season for elephant seals is particularly critical, as thousands of animals gather in dense crowds on the beaches.
Australia’s research icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, will be used to evacuate the staff. This is a temporary measure; Australia is not abandoning the research station.
The decision was announced on August 28, 2026 by the Australian Antarctic Program. It demonstrates how seriously the further spread of avian flu in the Southern Ocean is now being taken, especially on remote islands with huge and densely packed animal colonies.
Rosamaria Kubny, PolarJournal