Key Biodiversity Areas

McKean Island Marine (31021)
Kiribati, Oceania

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: McKean Island Marine
Central coordinates: Latitude: -3.5954, Longitude: -174.1227
System: marine
Area of KBA (km2): 45564.95626
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


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: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 120 km around McKean Island to encompass the foraging range of IBA threshold numbers of Lesser Frigatebird based upon a 2009 population estimate of 3,000 individuals from Conservation International (2011) Atoll restoration in the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati: survey results November - December 2009. Biodiversity conservation lessons learned technical series 7. Conservation International Pacific Islands Program, Samoa.

Habitats


IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Marine Neritic100

Threats


Threat level 1Threat level 2Threat level 3Timing
PollutionExcess energyLight pollutionOngoing
PollutionGarbage & solid wasteOngoing
Climate change & severe weatherHabitat shifting & alterationOnly in the future