Ria Formosa (Faro lagoon) (377)
Portugal, Europe

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2002

National site name: Ria Formosa

Central coordinates: Latitude: 37.0167, Longitude: -7.8167

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 39

Area of KBA (km²): 232.77859

Protected area coverage (%): 96.29

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: An extensive lagoon system with large areas of sandflats, mudflats and saltmarshes, located on the south coast of Portugal. The lagoons are protected from the open sea by a long, thin, discontinuous belt of sand-dunes.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: The site is important for numerous waterbirds, especially for beach-nesting Charadrius alexandrinus and Sterna albifrons and for wintering waders and duck, holding 20,000 or more wintering waterbirds on a regular basis. The reedbeds of the site are important for several nesting waterbird species, as well as for large numbers of migrating passerines during both autumn and spring migration.

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Terrestrial	14
Introduced Vegetation	14
Marine Intertidal	14
Shrubland	14
Marine Neritic	14
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	14
Forest	14

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is a management plan (now at revision) for Natural Park, bur there is not any for Natura 2000 site. Tourists cause disturbance to birds, which can be moderately high locally, especially for beach-nesting species. The intensification of farming in the vicinity is increasing the flow into the lagoon of pollutants (herbicides, pesticides and nutrients), and is also using excessive amounts of groundwater, thus disturbing the water balance at the site. The bivalves and polychaete worms of the intertidal flats are very intensively exploited by man, thus reducing the food supply for some waterbird species. Natural erosion is an additional threat. Several thousand people live around the IBA, and numbers increase significantly during the summer months due to the influx of tourists.Water quality is affected by sewer emptying, and garbage and rubbish are commonly found along the area.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Transportation & service corridors	Utility & service lines		Ongoing

Additional information