There is a band of Southern rātā Metrosideros umbellata around the coast apart from on the western side, the height of which is determined by the shelter, aspect and degree of the slope.

[5] The rātā forest may extend into the Chionochloa tussock grasslands but in most places merges into a thick band of low, tight scrub dominated by Dracophyllum longifolium, Ozothamnus vauvilliersii and Myrsine divaricata.

Throughout our stay on the island this scrub was one of the worst drawbacks we had to encounter; from four to six feet high it is quite impassable with reasonable exertion; walking on the top can be undertaken only by a very light man.

[6]The scrub band breaks into patches and transitions into extensive grassland of Chionochloa antarctica which in turn merges into a sparsely vegetated fellfield community on the most exposed alpine areas.

[8] Port Ross at the north end of Auckland Island is the only breeding site for the New Zealand population of southern right whales.

[12] Of these only shags are currently breeding on main Auckland Island, in areas where introduced cats and pigs cannot access their nests.

[20][21] DNA analysis suggests that mice—Mus musculus—did not colonise Auckland Island from a New Zealand population but instead arrived with whalers or sealers from North America.

[23] They severely deplete invertebrate populations, reduce the seedbank, eat seedlings & plants and compete with birds for food resources.

Ornithologist Brian Bell found that prions were confined to cliff faces at Crozier Point in 1962 and noted "any bird landing...[fell] an immediate prey to the feral cats.".

By the 1970s, only one population remained, a group of about 100 based on the northwest side of Port Ross, in the north-east of the main island.

[30]50°41′S 166°05′E / 50.69°S 166.08°E / -50.69; 166.08 Pigs—Sus scrofa—were first introduced at Port Ross in the north of Auckland Island in 1807 by Captain Abraham Bristow and several further liberations occurred in the 19th century.

The project, part of the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), targets three islands up to 15 times larger than any previously cleared of pests in New Zealand.

The goal is to remove invasive species, restore ecosystems, and protect native wildlife, including kākāpō, seabirds, and rare plants.

Two stations were constructed: One at Ranui Cove in outer Port Ross and another at Tagua, on Musgrave Peninsula in Carnley Harbour.