Al Yasat Marine Area (200668)
United Arab Emirates, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Al Yasat Marine Area
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.3818, Longitude: 51.8511
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): -20 to 36
Area of KBA (km2): 2256.80676
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: A large expanse of shallow marine waters not exceeding 20m in depth making it suitable for Dugongs. On the other hand, the area also contains three islands up to 36 m high in the south-east Arabian Gulf, 35 km north of Abu Dhabi mainland and 70 km west of Sir Bani Yas island. North Yasat is uninhabited. The islands are fringed by coral reefs, which are main breeding islands for Socotra Cormonant.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA hosts more than 1% of the global population for a globally threatened species; Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) and Dugong (Dugong dugon).
Additional biodiversity: The site includes suitable habitat for sea turtles, dolphins and sea snakes. Also, it's a site of importance for biodiversity at the regional level, because include Muhaimat island, a breeding site for the Osprey and Lesser Crested Tern, Bridled Terns and White-cheeked Terns.
Manageability of the site: The site is fully included in the Al Yasat Marine Protected Area.
Supersedes another site: Yasat Island (sitrecid: 8329) and Ghagha Island (sitrecid: 8327)
Delineation rationale: The delineation follows the boundaries of Al Yasat Marine Protected Area. Within this KBA, four Important Bird Areas have been incorporated, testifying to its importance for avian biodiversity. Notably, Ghagha Island and Yasat Island meet the criteria for Global KBA designation, while Faziya and Muhaimat island are existing IBAs. Moreover, the site includes Umm Al Hatab Island, which has recently been confirmed to meet the Global KBA criteria for the Socotra Cormorant
Habitats
Land use: The area is part of an officially declared Marine Protected Area.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 85 | Coastal Sand Dunes |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | Wetlands (inland) – Karst and other subterranean hydrological systems (inland) |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is no legal protection and no measures for nature conservation have been taken. There is no sign of feral cats Felis on the islands, and the distance from the mainland and the proximity to the border with Saudi Arabia probably help to minimize human disturbance.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: large scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Flight paths | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Aspinall (in press), Chapman (1990), Hellyer (1993).
Contributors: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Salim Javed and Himansu Das from the (Environment Agency Abu Dhabi)