Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Marine (31024)
Kiribati, Oceania
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Marine
Central coordinates: Latitude: 1.8635, Longitude: -157.3625
System: marine
Area of KBA (km2): 27611.82632
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 75 km around Kiritimati (Christmas Island) to encompass the foraging range of IBA threshold numbers of Brown Noddy based upon a 2007 population estimate of 15,000 - 31,000 breeding pairs, Black Noddy based upon a 2007 population estimate of 100,000 breeding pairs, and high use and transit areas of White-throated Storm-petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 200 - 500 breeding pairs, Audubon's Shearwater based upon a 2007 population estimate of 3,100 - 4,100 breeding pairs, Christmas Island Shearwater based upon a 2007 population estimate of 4,000 - 7,000 breeding pairs, Phoenix Petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 2,300 - 3,800 breeding pairs and Red-tailed Tropicbird based upon a 2007 population estimate of 820 - 1,100 breeding pairs from Pierce, R., Anderson, R., VanderWerf, E. Young, L. (2007) Surveys and capacity building in Kiritimati (Christmas Island, Kiribati), June 2007, to assist in restoration of populations of Bokikokiko and seabirds. Report for the Wildlife Conservation Unit, Republic of Kiritibati.
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: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 75 km around Kiritimati (Christmas Island) to encompass the foraging range of IBA threshold numbers of Brown Noddy based upon a 2007 population estimate of 15,000 - 31,000 breeding pairs, Black Noddy based upon a 2007 population estimate of 100,000 breeding pairs, and high use and transit areas of White-throated Storm-petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 200 - 500 breeding pairs, Audubon's Shearwater based upon a 2007 population estimate of 3,100 - 4,100 breeding pairs, Christmas Island Shearwater based upon a 2007 population estimate of 4,000 - 7,000 breeding pairs, Phoenix Petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 2,300 - 3,800 breeding pairs and Red-tailed Tropicbird based upon a 2007 population estimate of 820 - 1,100 breeding pairs from Pierce, R., Anderson, R., VanderWerf, E. Young, L. (2007) Surveys and capacity building in Kiritimati (Christmas Island, Kiribati), June 2007, to assist in restoration of populations of Bokikokiko and seabirds. Report for the Wildlife Conservation Unit, Republic of Kiritibati.
Delineation rationale: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 75 km around Kiritimati (Christmas Island) to encompass the foraging ranges of Brown Noddy and Black Noddy, and high-use and transit areas of White-throated Storm-petrel, Audubon's Shearwater, Christmas Island Shearwater, Phoenix Petrel and Red-tailed Tropicbird (Pierce et al. 2007).
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 100 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Oil spills | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Excess energy | Light pollution | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future |