Clipperton Fracture Zone Petrel Foraging Area (31490)
High Seas, High Seas
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Clipperton Fracture Zone Petrel Foraging Area
Central coordinates: Latitude: 7.3500, Longitude: -134.2167
System: marine
Area of KBA (km2): 610223.11766
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The area is equatorial and lies on and to the north of the Pacific Equatorial Upwelling zone. This is an area of strong equatorial current and parallel countercurrents which cause ocean mixing and high levels of primary productivity.
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 area encompasses key non-breeding foraging areas for Pycroft's Petrel, a threatened seabird that breeds in northern New Zealand.
Delineation rationale: Bounded by 12.9°N, 137.9°W and 0.2°N and 130.6°W at its north-western and south-eastern limits. 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 61022312 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (61000000 ha).