Navassa (21847)
United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA), Oceania

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2011

National site name: Navassa

Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.4017, Longitude: -75.0075

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 76

Area of KBA (km²): 1653.57014

Protected area coverage (%): 83.86

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Navassa Island IBA is situated 53 km west of Haiti, 136 km east of Jamaica and 152 km south of Cuba. The IBA includes the 500-ha island and marine areas up to 22 km from it, thus covering 147,600 ha of open ocean. Navassa is a small, pearshaped island plateau that rises abruptly from deep water. It is surrounded by a series of submarine coralline terraces. The karst dolomite terrain slopes from the lower north-western edge towards the south-eastern side and supports upland evergreen woodland and sparse shrubby vegetation. The island is surrounded by a submerged coral reef ecosystem and open sea.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: This IBA is globally significant for its breeding colony of Redfooted Booby Sula sula, a large majority of which are immature, which is concentrated along the sheltered (leeward) north-western to southern perimeter of the island. The breeding population, conservatively estimated at 175 individuals, of Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificensis is regionally important, and small numbers of Brown Booby Sula leucogaster also breed on the island. Hundreds of Near Threatened White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala occur, and the Vulnerable White-necked Crow Corvus leucognaphalus has been recorded on the island, but is probably a transient visitor. Non-bird biodiversity: The Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata occurs. Four endemic reptiles are abundant on the island, namely Navassa anole Anolis longiceps, Navassa gecko Aristelliger cochranae, Navassa dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus becki and the Navassa galliwasp Celestus badius.

Delineation rationale: 2012-12-17 (BL Secretariat): original polygon clipped to hi-res coastline following identification in October 2012 of new marine IBA offshore this site; site area consequently changed from 148100 ha to 165357 ha.

Habitats

Land use: hunting | nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	4
Shrubland	19
Marine Neritic	38
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	38

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: This IBA is federally owned, and is the only oceanic and coral reef national wildlife refuge in the western Atlantic. However, it lacks on-the-ground management due to its remoteness and lack of resident personnel. There is a history of foreign nationals, primarily Haitians, entering the refuge and harvesting protected species. These illegal activities are a challenge: the island’s disputed sovereignty means any move to prosecute could result in a diplomatic incident between the USA and Haiti. Socio-cultural assessments carried out by Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine have shown that Navassa’s fisheries are critical for sustaining the fishing community on the south-western tip of Haiti. A multiagency task force has been created to target management issues and reduce the threats to species and habitats, and USFWS will continue to monitor the island’s seabird colonies and document its use by resident and migratory birds.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing

Additional information