Ratmanova Island (16591)
Russia (Asian), Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Ratmanova Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: 65.7820, Longitude: -170.9013
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 200
Area of KBA (km2): 1346.09913
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: At 18.6 square miles (48 sq km), this is the largest of the Diomede Islands located near the corner of the 53-mile-wide (85 km) Bering Strait 26 miles (42 km) east of Cape Dezhnev (65°46'N; 169°03'W). The entire island is designated a Russian border guard outpost and is closed to public access.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The estimated two million crested auklets and one million least auklets make Big Diomede one of the largest colonies for these two species in the North Pacific. There also are substantial numbers of nine other species of nesting seabirds: black-legged kittiwakes, common and thick-billed murres, parakeet auklets, pigeon guillemots, pelagic cormorants, and homed and tufted puffins. Other birds commonly sighted include western sandpipers, rufous-necked stints, Baird’s sandpipers, yellow wagtails, red-throated pipits, northern ravens, common redpolls, snow buntings and Lapland longspurs. Other notable wildlife: A large walrus haul-out is located on the island’s southwestern shore. Bering Strait is a major migration corridor between the Bering and Chukchi seas for bowhead, gray and beluga whales, Pacific walrus, polar bears and seals.
Delineation rationale: 2014-08-12 (BL Secretariat): centroid coords adjusted to 65°46'55'N 170°54'5'W and site area changed to (or confirmed as) 19750 ha (rounded), on basis of refined polygon downloaded from Spatial Database on Important Bird Areas of Russia 2014 (© Russian Bird Conservation Union, © Transparent World).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Sea cliffs, alternating with scree slopes and bedrock, predominate on the northern and southern portions of the 14-mile (22 km) coastline. Northward flowing currents through Bering Strait concentrate zooplankton a short distance north of the island.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is the danger of future oil spills and disturbance from vessel traffic along the Northern Shipping Route. Disruption of marine food chains and incidental take of seabirds in fishing gear would accompany expansion of commercial fishing into island waters.
Additional information
References: Audubon Alaska / BirdLife Asia / RBCU (2004) Important Bird Areas of the Bering Sea ecoregion. Anchorage, USA: Audubon Alaska. 46 pp.
Contributors: The map polygon is provided courtesy of the Spatial Database on Important Bird Areas of Russia 2014 (© Russian Bird Conservation Union, © Transparent World).