Mersey Estuary (2537)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Mersey Estuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.2998, Longitude: -2.8302
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 12
Area of KBA (km2): 50.26697
Protected area coverage (%): 98.54
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Extensive intertidal areas in the Mersey estuary, including large areas of mudflats and saltmarshes. The estuary is of international importance for wintering 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; extended to include Mersey Narrows in 2000; adopted SPA boundary in 2007, with Mersey Narrows removed into its own IBA. 2000 area, 7274ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 48 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 48 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 |