Data Zone
Site description (2013 baseline):
Meads Bay Pond consists of one main basin which is nearly triangular in shape. During the 1980s, dredging activities that took place within the pond caused this wetland to be the deepest on the Anguilla mainland. The pond is comprised of marl substrate on its northern side and limestone on its southern side. Within the boundaries of the pond, there are two main sandbars: one within the midsection of the pond and on the northern side and, the other, along the western end which essentially sections off the last hundred feet of the pond. The land to the east and south of the pond is sloped at a higher incline than that north and west of the pond.
The pond is closely bordered on its northern side by a paved road. Behind the road is a dune which, over the years, has been developed and is now lined by a stretch of hotels, villas, and restaurants. The road continues along the eastern side of the pond, although setback from the pondline. A connecting main road runs east-west on the southern side of the pond and then continues more closely on its western end.
The vegetation surrounding the pond is comprised of buttonwood mangrove (Conocarpus erectus). Some acacia (Acacia macracantha) and grey nicker (Caesalpinia bonduc) can be found along the western end of the pond. Vegetation along the eastern end of the pond is dense and makes access/passage difficult.
At the end of 2012, Best Buy Supermarket on was in the initial stages of construction on the land adjacent to the southwest corner of the pond. A retaining wall between the pond and the construction site was built to control the sediment and erosion.
Hydrological value:
Meads Bay Pond is brackish and receives its water from rainfall, runoff, and from its close proximity to Mead’s Bay. While the pond has no known springs, due to its depth and holding capacity, the pond never dries out completely.
The pond is sectioned off on its western end by a sand bar that runs north-south and completely across the pond. The sandbar was artificially constructed from the remnants of material dredged from the pond’s centre and accounts for the shallower western end of the pond. It is unclear how this division of the pond has affected its hydrology.
No water management measures are employed at this pond. Currently, monitoring of salinity, phosphates, nitrates, phosphates, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and other gasses does not occur.
Overview of bird interests:
Average bird numbers at this pond increase between the first and second years of the study period. Numbers then declined for two years, before increasing again in 2011.
The most abundant species observed throughout this period were Least tern, Black-necked stilts, White-cheeked pintail, and Lesser yellowleg.
The most productive time of year for this pond is during the spring through to the end of summer. During this time, migration is still underway and accounts for the increase in the overall number of birds observed.
Overview of botanical interests:
Additional studies required.
Overview of other biodiversity interests:
Additional studies required.
While the depth of the pond appears to impact the bird species present- with smaller wading birds limited to the shallower eastern and western corners of the pond- it also has allowed it to have increased capacity for fish and other aquatic insects and invertebrates. The sandbars and muddy/rocky flats also provide important feeding and roosting grounds particularly for wading birds. Ducks and pelicans can be seen at times swimming and feeding in the open waters while egrets can be observed along the pond edges and often in the lining trees.
Current usage:
Recreationally, the pond supports limited bird watching. It is included in wetlands education material used to educate individuals and groups about Anguilla’s wetlands.
The pond also provides habitat for the Least tern, a species considered to be an endangered in the countries along its migration route. The pond is used for research into the population trends of this bird as well as all others observed during the Anguilla National Trust’s Monthly Bird Monitoring Programme. Results of monitoring activities are published in biennial status reports.
Impacts of activity at the pond during the 1980s are still evident today. Indeed, the pond is more than a metre deep at its centre and never dries completely, turbidity at the pond is always high and two silt sandbars on the pond are still present.
Sand mining activities and development on the sand dune to the north of the pond impact both the dune’s stability and its ability to act as an effective barrier against storm surges. This is further compound by the clearing of pondline vegetation on its northern side. Such clearing has limited the protection that the pond is able to provide to its dependent fauna and flora, and its water catchment ability.
The location of the pond and its proximity to a dense and still developing tourism area indicates that the pond may be surrounded- almost entirely- by built development. Such high level development exposes the pond and its associated habitats to further degradation and stress.
Private/State
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Meads Bay Pond (Anguilla (to UK)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/meads-bay-pond-iba-anguilla-(to-uk) on 23/11/2024.