Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large saline coastal lagoon connected to the sea by three channels. There are several areas of saltpans surrounded by reedbeds (
Phragmites) and saltmarshes.
This is an important site for breeding and wintering ducks, waders and seabirds. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Marmaronetta angustirostris (wintering).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The most important threats are urbanization, particularly along the main sandbar, in-filling, dredging and canalization, road building and disturbance caused by tourists. A management plan is being prepared and a LIFE project has examined conservation of the area.
National Partial
International Partial856 ha of IBA covered by Regional Park (Salinas y arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, 856 ha). 50 ha of IBA covered by Regional Park (Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas y Peña del águila, 2,453 ha). 900 ha of IBA covered by Protected Landscape (Espacios abiertos e islas del Mar Menor, 1,154 ha). 14,933 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Mar Menor, 14,933 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Spain). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mar-menor-coastal-lagoon-iba-spain on 23/12/2024.
