Moray Basin, Firths and Bays (2546)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Moray Basin, Firths and Bays
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.7255, Longitude: -4.0393
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 163.41077
Protected area coverage (%): 98.29
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A complex area of coastline and estuary, including Loch Fleet, Dornoch Firth, Loch Eye, Cromarty Firth, Beauly Firth, and Moray Firth (south shore including Burghead and Spey Bay), stretching from Helmsdale south to Spey Bay. These coastal areas form an integral unit that is important for populations of wintering and passage wildfowl, and for breeding Phalacrocorax carbo.
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 as six IBAs (Moray Firth: Burghead and Spey Bays; Moray Firth: Munlochy Bay to Findhorn Bay; Cromarty Firth; Loch Eye; Beauly Firth; Lower Dornoch Firth); combined in 1992 into Moray Basin, Firths and Bays and extensive marine component added in 2000; boundary reduced in 2007 to cover the four component SPAs only (Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet; Inner Moray Firth; Cromarty Firth; Moray and Nairn Coast), losing the marine component. 2000 area, 134660 ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 30 | |
| Marine Neritic | 30 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 30 | |
| Grassland | 5 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |