Scapa Flow (2685)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Scapa Flow
Central coordinates: Latitude: 58.8803, Longitude: -3.1032
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 32
Area of KBA (km2): 252.51194
Protected area coverage (%): 15.66
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large sea area that separates the islands of Orkney Mainland, Hoy and South Ronaldsay, important for wintering waterbirds. An oil terminal occupies part of the IBA.
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)
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989, but dropped in 1992; reinstated in 2000, with no significant boundary changes since then. Digitised onto 1:50,000 scale OS maps.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Marine Neritic | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Oil spills | Only in the future |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future |