Bitter Lakes (6190)
Egypt, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Bitter Lakes

Central coordinates: Latitude: 30.3333, Longitude: 32.2500

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 10

Area of KBA (km²): 235.38321

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Before the construction last century of the Suez Canal, the Bitter Lakes were relatively small, hyper-saline inland lakes, with a salinity of up to 161 g/l, surrounded by salt-encrusted sabkha. After the lakes were connected with both the Mediterranean and the Red Seas by the Suez Canal, they became a single marine body, their size increased and salinity decreased, reaching between 43 and 46 g/l in 1972. The northern, wider end of this water-body is known as the Great Bitter Lake, while the southern, narrower part is known as the Little Bitter Lake. The bottom is sandy and scantily covered with vegetation. Agricultural land, tourist developments and scattered areas of saltmarsh border the lakes on the western side, while the eastern side is mostly sandy desert. Drainage from recent agricultural development on the Sinai side of the Suez Canal has created a fairly large Typha and Phragmites marsh at the north-western corner of the Great Bitter Lake. There are a number of low sandy islets and spits in the Little Bitter Lake and scattered along the eastern side of the lakes.

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: See Box for key species. Although there has not been a comprehensive systematic count of birds at the Bitter Lakes, they are known to be of limited importance for wintering and migratory waterfowl. Larus genei is the only species that is known to winter in internationally important numbers. The species most likely breeds locally, as evidenced by the presence of birds throughout the year, especially juveniles in summer. The species may breed on some of the islets and sandy spits on the eastern side of the lakes. Sterna albifrons, Charadrius alexandrinus and Vanellus spinosus also breed in good numbers.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | tourism/recreation

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Oil pollution from ships passing through the Suez Canal is always a potential threat to waterbirds in this small body of water. Rapid urban expansion, mainly for tourism, which is occurring particularly along the western shores of the lake, is threatening to eliminate much of the natural vegetation around the lake and will lead to increased disturbance.

Additional information