Dee Estuary (2454)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Dee Estuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.3283, Longitude: -3.1935
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 136.40145
Protected area coverage (%): 99.69
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Dee estuary lies between the Wirral peninsula and the north Wales coast and consists of a very large intertidal area, some 20 km long and up to 9 km wide. The site comprises extensive mudflats and saltmarshes, with sand-dune and maritime cliff-top communities also represented. The IBA is important for wintering and passage wildfowl and waders.
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.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989; no significant boundary changes since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale. Additional area added on 1:50,000 maps.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 19 | |
| Marine Neritic | 38 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 4 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 38 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Only in the past and unlikely to return |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future |