Key Biodiversity Areas

Grand Lagon Sud Marin (31330)
New Caledonia (to France), Australasia

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1bD1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Grand Lagon Sud Marin
Central coordinates: Latitude: -22.6245, Longitude: 166.7222
System: marine
Area of KBA (km2): 10915.92965
Protected area coverage (%): 55.72
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 25 km around Dent de Saint-Vincent to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 4,000 - 8,000 breeding pairs from Spaggiari, J., Chartendrault, V. and Barre, N. (2007) Zones importantes pour la conservation des oiseaux de Nouvelle-Caledonie. Societe caledonienne d'ornitholoie - SCO et BirdLife International. Noumea, Nouvelle-Caledonie. 216pp; a seaward extension of 25 km around Massifs du Grand Sud - entre le mont Humboldt et la rivière Bleue to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2004 population estimate of 1,000 - 10,000 breeding pairs from Brooke, M. (2004) Albatrossess and Petrels across the World. Oxford University Press, New York; a seaward extension of 3 km around Îlot Amédée to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Fairy Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 240 individuals from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Update on seabirds' IBAs in New Caledonia. SCO, 05/11/2012; a seaward extension of 18 km around Îlot Goélands to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Roseate Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 2,000 breeding pairs; and seaward extensions of 15 km around Îlot M’ba, Îlot M’bo, Îlot Signal and Îlot Ténia to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of seabirds based upon 2012 population estimates of 30,800, 13,500, 14,200 and 18,900 breeding pairs respectively from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Preliminary update on seabirds’ IBAs in New Caledonia. Unpublished report of work funded by the Packard Foundation, DENV - province Sud and DDEE - province Nord.
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 25 km around Dent de Saint-Vincent to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 4,000 - 8,000 breeding pairs from Spaggiari, J., Chartendrault, V. and Barre, N. (2007) Zones importantes pour la conservation des oiseaux de Nouvelle-Caledonie. Societe caledonienne d'ornitholoie - SCO et BirdLife International. Noumea, Nouvelle-Caledonie. 216pp; a seaward extension of 25 km around Massifs du Grand Sud - entre le mont Humboldt et la rivière Bleue to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2004 population estimate of 1,000 - 10,000 breeding pairs from Brooke, M. (2004) Albatrossess and Petrels across the World. Oxford University Press, New York; a seaward extension of 3 km around Îlot Amédée to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Fairy Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 240 individuals from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Update on seabirds' IBAs in New Caledonia. SCO, 05/11/2012; a seaward extension of 18 km around Îlot Goélands to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Roseate Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 2,000 breeding pairs; and seaward extensions of 15 km around Îlot M’ba, Îlot M’bo, Îlot Signal and Îlot Ténia to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of seabirds based upon 2012 population estimates of 30,800, 13,500, 14,200 and 18,900 breeding pairs respectively from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Preliminary update on seabirds’ IBAs in New Caledonia. Unpublished report of work funded by the Packard Foundation, DENV - province Sud and DDEE - province Nord.
Delineation rationale: The site boundary is based upon a seaward extension of 25 km around Dent de Saint-Vincent to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2007 population estimate of 1,000 - 10,000 breeding pairs from Brooke, M. (2004) Albatrossess and Petrels across the World. Oxford University Press, New York; a seaward extension of 25 km around Massifs du Grand Sud - entre le mont Humboldt et la rivière Bleue to encompass high use and transit areas of IBA threshold numbers of Gould's Petrel based upon a 2004 population estimate of 4,000 - 8,000 breeding pairs from Spaggiari, J., Chartendrault, V. and Barre, N. (2007) Zones importantes pour la conservation des oiseaux de Nouvelle-Caledonie. Societe caledonienne d'ornitholoie - SCO et BirdLife International. Noumea, Nouvelle-Caledonie. 216pp; a seaward extension of 3 km around Îlot Amédée to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Fairy Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 240 individuals from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Update on seabirds' IBAs in New Caledonia. SCO, 05/11/2012; a seaward extension of 18 km around Îlot Goélands to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of Roseate Tern based upon a 2012 population estimate of 2,000 breeding pairs; and seaward extensions of 15 km around Îlot M’ba, Îlot M’bo, Îlot Signal and Îlot Ténia to encompass foraging areas of IBA threshold numbers of seabirds based upon 2012 population estimates of 30,800, 13,500, 14,200 and 18,900 breeding pairs respectively from Baudat-Franceschi, J. (2012) Preliminary update on seabirds’ IBAs in New Caledonia. Unpublished report of work funded by the Packard Foundation, DENV - province Sud and DDEE - province Nord.

Habitats


IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Marine Neritic100

Threats


Threat level 1Threat level 2Threat level 3Timing
Biological resource useFishing & harvesting aquatic resourcesUnintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]Ongoing
PollutionIndustrial & military effluentsOil spillsOngoing
PollutionExcess energyLight pollutionOngoing
Climate change & severe weatherHabitat shifting & alterationOnly in the future