Portsmouth Harbour (2578)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Portsmouth Harbour
Central coordinates: Latitude: 50.8268, Longitude: -1.1272
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 12.50457
Protected area coverage (%): 98.10
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large industrialized estuary that includes one of the four largest expanses of mudflats and tidal creeks on the south coast of Britain. The IBA holds important numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders. Branta bernicla are the bernicla subspecies.
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.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989; no significant boundary changes since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 48 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 48 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Small dams | Only in the future |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Nutrient loads | Ongoing |
| 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 | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |