Seagull Lake (Eyre Peninsula) (25121)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Seagull Lake (Eyre Peninsula)
Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.9595, Longitude: 134.2140
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 0.8974
Protected area coverage (%): 96.62
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA includes all of Seagull Lake, inland of Sceale Bay, about 20 km south of Streaky Bay and 280 km north of Port Lincoln, on the Eyre Peninsula. Seagull Lake is a small sub-coastal saline lake, which is fed from a nearby marine spring. Seaward are grassy sand-dunes and the long sandy Sceale Bay. Landward is about 1 km of whipstick mallee and Melaleuca, then a series of ephemeral saline wetlands. Many of these wetlands have become dryer from reduced rainfall and increased water abstraction. Much of the hinterland is uncleared vegetation, probably samphire and halophytic shrubland. Some areas are permanently wet but much of the lake bed dries up in periods of limited rainfall. Some of the lake is protected by Sceale Bay Conservation Park and the permanent pool on the southern shore is under a Heritage Agreement.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: Small numbers of shorebirds recorded including: Banded Stilts, max 600 in 1980 and 520 in 2001 and 1010 in 2006; Red-necked Avocet, max 200 in 2001; Red-necked Stint, max 627 in 1980; Red-capped Plover, max 550 in 1982; Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, max 91 in 2006 and Hooded Plover, max nine in 1981 and three in 2006 (J. Cooper in litt. 2008; Australian Shorebird Count Database). Non-bird biodiversity: About 1000 individual plants of the nationally vulnerable Bead Samphire have been counted on the southern shore of Seagull Lake, with the equally threatened West Coast Mintbush also found on nearby outcrops (DEH 2006).
Other site values: South Australian Government (managed by the Department for Environment and Heritage) and private.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | not utilised
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Salinity and water quality needs to be monitored to inform water management in the catchment. Human disturbance needs to be controlled around potential Fairy Tern nesting sites. Fox control needs to be targeted around Fairy Tern colonies.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: DEH (2006) News Release. SCEALE BAY GETS CONSERVATION PARK PROTECTION. Downloaded from http://www.deh.sa.gov.au/data/press/sceale_bay_cp.pdf in November 2008. DEH (2007) Parks of the Far West. Downloaded from http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/pdfs/BROCHURE_FARWEST_PARKS.PDF in November 2008. DEH (2008) Report on opportunities for the protection of coastal land between Streaky Bay and Venus Bay through establishment of a CoastLinks Conservation Area. Unpublished report. Adelaide: Department for Environment and Heritage. Downloaded from http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/biodiversity/pdfs/coastlinks_report.pdf in December 2008.
Contributors: Thanks to Jane Cooper as compiler and Emma Ginman for providing comments.