Tubli Bay (8017)
Bahrain, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Tubli Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 26.1732, Longitude: 50.5722
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 11.53272
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow, sheltered bay in an urban/industrial area, with saltmarsh vegetation, extensive mudflats (mainly on the east side) and a large area of mangrove Avicennia (the last remaining area in the country) in the south-west corner of the bay at Sanad. Tidal amplitude is up to 2.5 m and salinity exceeds 4.0%. There are many freshwater springs offshore and onshore, the latter associated with Phragmites reedbeds and date-palm gardens. The bay is an important spawning and nursery area for fish and prawns. It receives irrigation run-off from the date gardens and also fully treated sewage effluent.
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 most important site in the country for migrating and wintering coastal waterbirds. See box for key species. Other wintering species include Egretta garzetta (100), Charadrius hiaticula (300), Calidris minuta (1,000), Arenaria interpres (250), Larus ichthyaetus (150) and Larus ridibundus (2,000). Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: The Royal Decree (53) 2006 with respect to the Declaration of Tubli Bay as a Natural Protected Area has officially determined the total area of Tubli Bay to be 13.5 km2. Therefore area has been changed from 1200 ha to 1350 ha. However, the geographical co-ordinates (boundary) of Tubli Bay have not yet been officially defined.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | energy production and mining (15%) | fisheries/aquaculture (40%) | nature conservation and research (10%) | tourism/recreation (30%) | urban/industrial/transport (40%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 4 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 81 | |
| Marine Neritic | 15 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The entire mangrove area at Ras Sanad is a Wildlife Reserve, and there is a mangrove re-planting programme. Land-claim and dredging are a critical problem: since 1975 most of the original mangrove and other intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats (as well as date-palm gardens) have been lost to housing, roads and other urban and industrial development, especially along the northern shore of the Bay. Irresponsible hunting, excessive disturbance of birds by recreational activities, and oil pollution are all major problems at the site.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Sewage | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Seepage from mining | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Excess energy | Thermal pollution | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (domestic use) | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Garbage & solid waste | Ongoing |