This book presents the natural, environmental and scenic richness of the world’s coastal and marine areas classified by UNESCO as “Natural World Heritage Sites”. Representing well-preserved areas of exceptional significance to the planet and to humankind, they include a total of 49 marine sites, formed by reefs, atolls and gulfs, and 35 coastal sites in all oceans and all continents with exception of Antarctica. They are being protected and preserved from most degrading uses for future generations as an important legacy from the past. Exploring their richness, this book analyzes and explains these sites in a clear, understandable, scientific way, and is of interest to all who work in or care about the geosciences, environmental sciences and biosciences.

"New Zealand's lonely subantarctic islands - the Antipodes, Bounty, Snares, Campbell and Auckland Islands - lie south of New Zealand on the way to Antarctica. ... Today all five island groups are managed as nature reserves, and acknowledged to be of worldwide ecological importance, with their rare species of birds, marine mammals, insects and plants, and some of the last remaining unmodified environments on Eath."--Jacket.

The world’s subantarctic islands circle the lower part of the globe below New Zealand, Australia, Africa and South America in the ‘Roaring Forties’ and ‘Furious Fifties’ latitudes. They are filled with unique plants and wildlife, constantly buffeted by lashing rain and furious gales, and surrounded by a vast, powerful ocean. New Zealand and Australian subantarctic islands in particular have a rich and fascinating human history, from the early 19th-century explorers and sealers through to modern-day conservation and adventure tourism. And yet, the subantarctic islands are often called our ‘forgotten islands’ because so few people know of their existence, despite their status since 1998 as World Heritage sites. Trial of Strength is a history book filled with compelling photos for a modern audience, and one that, for the first time, includes women’s stories as more than just a footnote. Balanced and engaging, it features classic tales of infamous shipwrecks, lesser-known stories of intrepid pioneers, as well as more recent stories of adventure tourism, conservation wins, and dramatic helicopter rescues. Written by the descendant of two 19th-century British colonial settlers who attempted to create a home for their young family in this bleak environment, Trial of Strength will leave you with an appreciation for the tenacity of the human race and the forbidding forces of nature.

Galapagos of the Antarctic - Wild Islands South of New Zealand describes the seven oceanic islands groups to the south of New Zealand. Starting at the Chatham Islands, and moving east to west through the Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Campbell Island, Auckland Island, The Snares and Macquarie Island, this book takes the reader on a journey through a unique part of the world, a wonderland of wildlife galore, unique geology and rich human history. Bursting with stunning photographs and illustrations.

This special book-format issue of Birds New Zealand's journal Notornis is devoted to the birds of the Auckland Islands Maukahuka/Motu Maha, the largest and biologically most diverse island group in the New Zealand subantarctic region. Its 19 chapters, written by leading ornithologists, cover a wide range of topics, including the history of ornithological discovery, biogeography, the impacts of introduced mammals and people, prehistoric bird communities based on bone assemblages, and population, ecological and genetic studies of several of the endemic or otherwise notable birds of the island group including Auckland Island snipe, white-headed petrel, and several albatross species.