Nelsons Island

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{{short description|Uninhabited island in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean}}
{{Other uses|Nelson Island (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}{{Use British English|date = December 2019}}
{{Infobox islands
| disputed =
| name = Nelsons Island
| image_map = {{Location map|Indian Ocean |label=Nelsons Island |lon_dir=E |lat_dir=S |lat_deg=5|lat_min=40 |lon_deg=72|lon_min=18 |mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg |marksize=20 |relief=1}}
| location = [[Indian Ocean]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|05|40|53|S|72|18|39|E|name=Nelson Island|display=inline,title|region:GB_type:isle}}
| archipelago = [[Chagos Archipelago]]
| area_sqmi = 0.11
| length_mi = 1.0
| width_mi = 0.1
| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| country1 = {{flag|Mauritius}}
| country1_admin_divisions_title = [[Outer Islands of Mauritius|Outer Islands]]
| country1_admin_divisions = [[Chagos Archipelago]]
}}
'''Nelsons Island''' or '''Nelson Island''' or '''Île Legour''' is a small uninhabited island in the [[Great Chagos Bank]], of the [[Chagos Archipelago]] in the [[Indian Ocean]]. As a protected nature reserve, access to the island is strictly restricted.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://biot.gov.io/environment/terrestrial-protected-areas/|title=Terrestrial Protected Areas {{!}} British Indian Ocean Territory|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>

The island is administered by the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]], an [[British Overseas Territories|overseas territory]] of the United Kingdom, but is due to become part of Mauritius following [[Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute|a 2025 agreement]].

== Geography ==
The island is the northernmost and the easternmost island of the [[Great Chagos Bank]], which is the world's largest [[Atoll|coral atoll structure]]. The nearest neighbouring island is Île Boddam in the [[Salomon Islands, Indian Ocean|Salomon Islands]], {{Convert|22|mi|km|abbr=}} north-northwest from Nelsons Island. The island is 11 miles SSE of the wholly submerged [[Victory Bank|Victory Bank atoll]].

Nelsons Island occupies the only emerging reef structure in the northern fringe of the Great Chagos Bank. The island stretches in an East-West direction, with a length of {{convert|1.6|km|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|250|m|0|abbr=on}} wide in its broadest area. There is a small, low-lying islet to the east called Îlot Legour.

In terms of its geology, detailed photographic images show evidence of a coral limestone core that has been overlaid by sandy loam.{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}

== History ==
The first recorded discovery of the island was by a Mr Legour from [[Port Louis]], Mauritius in 1820, with the island initially being called ''Isle Legour''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0jZbAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA27-PA13|title=Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Volume 18|date=1826–1827|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forgottenbooks.org/readbook_text/An_Historical_Political_and_Statistical_Account_Of_Mauritius_and_Its_v1_1000809762/313 |title=P.296-7. An Historical, Political and Statistical Account of Mauritius and Its Dependencies |accessdate=2014-03-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303190201/http://www.forgottenbooks.org/readbook_text/An_Historical_Political_and_Statistical_Account_Of_Mauritius_and_Its_v1_1000809762/313 |archivedate=2014-03-03 }}</ref>

There are no records of the island being inhabited, even between the 17th and the 20th century when there were [[coconut]] [[plantation]]s on other islands of the Chagos Archipelago.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://chagos-trust.org/blog/february-2012-expedition-day-8-birds-galore|title=February 2012 Expedition - Day 8 - Birds galore {{!}} Chagos Conservation Trust|website=chagos-trust.org|language=en|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>

== Wildlife ==
Nelsons Island has been identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] by [[BirdLife International]], and is legally protected as a [[Strict nature reserve|Strict Nature Reserve]] – making it an offence to visit the island without the written permission of the [[Government of the British Indian Ocean Territory]].<ref name=":0" />

An expedition in 2018 estimated the island was home to as many as 3000 roosting [[Red-footed booby|red-footed boobies]], a population of [[Brown booby|brown boobies]], and a significant colony of [[Wedge-tailed shearwater|wedge-tailed shearwaters]], as well as around 6500 nesting pairs of [[Lesser noddy|lesser noddies]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zsl.org/blogs/nelsons-island-expedition/packing-up-and-heading-home|title=Packing up and heading home|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>

Birds benefit from the island being free from rats. The island also has a population of [[Meadow argus|Meadow Argus butterflies.]]<ref name=":1" />

Owing to its remoteness there has always been a population of nesting [[sea turtle]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://documents.chagos-trust.org/chagos%20news%2037.pdf|title=Chagos News|date=January 2011|publisher=Chagos Conservation Trust|pages=11, 14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402223907/http://documents.chagos-trust.org/chagos%20news%2037.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2012|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>

The island is unique for the Chagos for having only two species of tree, [[Coconut]] and [[Pisonia]], which both appear to have arrived naturally. The island is otherwise covered by the shrubs [[Scaevola (plant)|Scaveola]] and [[Argusia]].<ref name=":1" />

One of the major problems affecting the native wildlife is the significant accumulation of plastic bottles and other assorted debris such as damaged fishnets and shoes, as well as an assortment of plastic and polystyrene materials that are washed up by localised ocean currents, winds and sea-storms. Such debris was captured in images during the Catlin Seaview Survey in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@-5.6803655,72.310276,2a,75y,81h,61.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssHb5rhdv80EUGlPKhGdsVQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656|title=Google Maps Streetview of Nelson Island|website=Google Maps|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Slayer|first=John|date=June 2015|title=Trekking Chagos|url=https://chagos-trust.org/images/uploads/documents/Chagos_News_46.pdf|journal=Chagos News|publisher=Chagos Conservation Trust|volume=46|pages=15–17|issn=2046-7222}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*Griffiths, J.D. ed. ''1978-9 Joint Services Expedition to the Chagos Archipelago''. MOD Publication, London 1979

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328124105/http://www.reefnewmedia.co.uk/cmt_chagos/uploads/PDF/Science/bibliography.pdf Chagos research papers and books]
* [https://www.google.com/intl/en_ALL/streetview/#remote-islands-of-the-world/nelsons-island-british-indian-ocean-territory Google Street View Feb 2015]

[[Category:Chagos Archipelago]]
[[Category:Nature reserves]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of the British Indian Ocean Territory]]
[[Category:Seabird colonies]]

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Nelsons Island