Joulter Cays (30039)
Bahamas, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2021
National site name: Joulter Cays
Central coordinates: Latitude: 25.2682, Longitude: -78.1524
System: terrestrial, marine
Elevation (m): 0 to 7
Area of KBA (km2): 403.89947
Protected area coverage (%): 92.74
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Joulter Cays lie on the margins of the Grand Bahama Bank north of Andros Island. It is a large intertidal to shallow subtidal area of stabilized sand flats that covers approximately 403.898 km². The sand flats are penetrated partly by tidal channels with grass beds. The flats area fringed on the windward eastern and northeastern boarders by mobile sands creating roosting habitats for shorebirds. On the seaward side there is a ridge of vegetated islands up to 7 m above mean sea level. The primary vegetation on the Joulter Cays is Red and Black Mangrove. Other vegetated islands are scattered among the sand flats. The sand bars are primarily made up of rare Ooid or Oolite sand. This unique spherical grained sand resembling Fish-roe is developed through a chemical process adding concentric layers around a central nucleus. The sands have a large surface area that promotes bacterial growth and are mainly used in the aquarium industry.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site was originally confirmed as a KBA under legacy criteria for the Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) and the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). Updated shorebird population data from a consolidated database of multi-year censuses across the Bahamas indicates that the Joulter Cays regularly supports wintering aggregations of Piping Plovers. Therefore, the productive sand flats of the Joulter Cays provide critical habitat for this declining species. The boundaries of the Joulter Cays KBA mostly match the boundaries of the Joulter Cays National Park, with the addition of a small area of sand flats to the south that is commonly used by the wintering Piping Plover population of the Joulter Cays.
Additional biodiversity: Initial assessments have indicated that the Joulter Cays provide important habitats for several species of shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds. Among these, some of the species that have been recorded in large numbers are the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Wilson’s plover (Charadrius wilsonia), Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa), Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri), American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates), Willet (Tringa semipalmata), and Sanderling (Calidris alba). Additionally, the sandflats, coppice, and mangroves of the Joulter Cays are essential for the White-crowned Pigeons’ survival (Bahamas National Trust. 2014. The Andros Joulter Cays National Park Proposal. Retrieved from http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/uploads/14/The_Andros_Joulter_Cays_National_Park_Proposal_Feb_25_2014_FINAL.pdf). There are at least 17 plant species in the Joulter Cays, being the most common ones the Buttonwood and the Red and Black mangroves. These mangroves, along with the tidal creeks, provide nursery areas for sharks and for reef fish communities. Tidal creeks fringed with red mangroves have been shown to support populations of juvenile gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus), schoolmasters (Lutjanus apodus), mojarras, grunts, parrotfish, and damselfish (Bahamas National Trust. 2014. The Andros Joulter Cays National Park Proposal. Retrieved from http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/uploads/14/The_Andros_Joulter_Cays_National_Park_Proposal_Feb_25_2014_FINAL.pdf).
Delineation rationale: The Joulter Cays National Park covered 96% of the former Joulter Cays KBA delimitation. The national park extended beyond the boundaries of the KBA, including deeper waters and a portion of the Andros Barrier Reef, which provides protection to the shoreline (Bahamas National Trust. 2014. The Andros Joulter Cays National Park Proposal. Retrieved from http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/uploads/14/The_Andros_Joulter_Cays_National_Park_Proposal_Feb_25_2014_FINAL.pdf). The current boundaries of Joulter Cays are extended to coincide with the boundaries of the Joulter Cays National Park, as this allows for the same management and conservation plans between them (a single management unit), and is expected to facilitate the operation of the Bahamas National Trust and its personnel. In addition to this change, the boundaries were also extended to the south to include a sandflat area of approximately 14 km². This expansion is relevant because the plovers that are part of large aggregations (> 80 individuals) generally disperse across exposed tidal flats and sandy shores when the tide recedes (Zonick, C.A. 2000. The winter ecology of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) along the Texas Gulf Coast, PhD thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/raleigh/pdfs/ES/Zonick_2000_PhDDissertation.pdf). In particular, the expansion area is regularly used by Piping Plovers during low tide because it dries up earlier than other flats further west of Joulter Cays. Sidney Maddock, expert Piping Plover surveyor, indicates that this area is the first feeding point for many of the plovers that are part of the large aggregations identified within the KBA (personal communication, May 27, 2021). Finally, the expansion area is undeveloped, so it is mainly composed of undisturbed sandflats and mangroves.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases |