Skagerrak-Southwest Norwegian trench (3076)
Denmark, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Skagerrak og sydvestlige Norskerende
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.6667, Longitude: 9.0000
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 12589.28069
Protected area coverage (%): 25.10
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A sea area with complex salinity gradients. 33% of the area is within Danish territory (the area given here), 61% in Norwegian territory and 7% in Swedish. Coordinates are approximate.
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.
Additional biodiversity: Of very high importance for pelagic species such as Sula bassana, Stercorarius skua (nearly 12% of the biogeographic population), Uria aalge, Alca torda and Alle alle (25% of the biogeographic population). Outside of the IBA, in the adjacent area of Jammerbugten, Melanitta nigra occurs in high numbers (up to 50,000) in some years.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Currently oil pollution is the most significant threat to the site. Future oil exploitation poses a potential threat.