Bumbah Gulf (6473)
Libya, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Bumbah Gulf
Central coordinates: Latitude: 32.2804, Longitude: 23.2819
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 803.88436
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Ayn al Ghazalah Bay is situated in the south of the Gulf of Bumbah (Bomba), between the towns of Darnah and Tubruq. In the mouth of the bay lies the island of Geziret al Elba, 2 km from the coast. The island is 2.5 km by 1 km, reaching only 1.5 m at the northern, rocky end, from where it slopes gradually into a saltmarsh at sea-level at the southern end. The saltmarsh consists primarily of Salicornia fruticosa and Halimione portulacoides. The coastline of Ayn al Ghazalah Bay also contains some areas of saltmarsh and coastal lagoons backed by desert.
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. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Other breeding species on the island include Sterna albifrons (25 pairs), Larus cachinnans (10 pairs), Charadrius alexandrinus (few pairs) and Galerida cristata (10 pairs). The bay may be important for migrant waterbirds. It is probable that further species of the Mediterranean North Africa biome will be found in the mainland part of the site. In addition, one species of the Sahara–Sindian biome (A02) has also been recorded (see Table 2). Non-bird biodiversity: The mainland coast of the Ayn al Ghazalah Bay is an important breeding site for the sea-turtle Caretta caretta (EN).
Delineation rationale: 2017-11-08 (BL Secretariat): site area was increased from 1000 ha (2001 IBA) to 1300 ha (2010 KBA) and then to 110,000 ha (following 2012 marine IBA [offshore extension from breeding colony]; polygon area rounded to nearest 10%).
Habitats
Land use: not utilised
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 1 | |
| Marine Neritic | 98 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 1 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Fishermen occasionally land on the island to repair their nets, but there appears to be no serious disturbance to the tern colony.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Meininger and Wolf (1994), Meininger et al. (1994a and b).