Data Zone
Country/territory: South Africa
IBA criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1,962,648 ha
Site description (2012 baseline)
This Marine IBA is identified using tracking data. It falls within the South Africa Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Indian Ocean, FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 19626 km2 and is 44 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 216 to 3970 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 3.43 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 4.58 and 5.89 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.2 and 0.39 mg/m3.
Key biodiversity
6 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. BirdLife analyses of tracking data estimates that 555-4967 individuals of Wandering Albatross (VU) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Brood-guard (Mar-Apr) and Post-guard (Apr-Dec) life-history stages. 314-3137 individuals of Southern Giant-petrel (LC) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Non-breeding (Nov-Sep) life-history stage. 78-781 individuals of Northern Giant-petrel (LC) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Non-breeding (Nov-Sep) life-history stage. 478-2069 individuals of Sooty Albatross (EN) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Post-guard (Jan-May) life-history stage. 981-4711 individuals of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (EN) from Prince Edward Island are present at the site during the Post-guard (Jan-Apr) life-history stage.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Indian Ocean, Antarctic and Southern 7 - Marine. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/indian-ocean-antarctic-and-southern-7--marine-iba-south-africa on 07/12/2023.
