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Coastal Area 13401 Shikanose, norhtern Awajishima Island

Basic Information References

Relevant municipalities
Area (km²)	108

Reason(s) for selection Criteria

Selected by experts as a distinctive (unique) environmentof submarged sandbank of shallows water.

Characteristics References

These are the waters in the vicinity of Shikanose off the coasts of Akasihi and Awajishima Islands. Sandy shallows unfold in these waters, and the sandbank rising from the surrounding sea 5-30 m deep (at least 40 m deep) is called Shikanose . Formed by the tidal current flowing through Akashi Strait, this sandbank provides a unique environment where Japanese sand lance breed (Kusakabe et al., 2007). This is a very important site as a typical example of the shallow sea floor in the Seto Inland Sea that still retains its biodiversity (Kato, personal communication).

Environment / Habitat infromation Data source

Tidal mud flats (km²)
Moba (seaweed bed) (km²)
Coral reef coverage (km²)
Natural coast (km)	-
Rate of natural coast (%)	-
Sand bank / submerged sand bank
Other habitats

Species information (*) Data source

Criteria 2

<Mamal>

Neophocaena phocaenoides (Fineless porpoise)

Ammodytes personatus (Japanese sand lance)[Sp]

Scomberomorus niphonius (Japanese Spanish mackerel)[Sp]

Pagrus major (Red seabream)[Sp]

Amphioctopus fangsiao (Ocellated octopus)

Octopus vulgaris (Common octopus)

* This is the species list of which meet the criteria. In that matter, this list does not include all species that inhabit the individual area.
Abbreviation in the information is as follows.
[Br/Ne] : Adjacent water of breeding area or nesting site
[Sp] : spawning area
[Ad] : species not used for analysis but add to the list because inhabit information was collected later
[Ex] : species used for analysis but considered to be possibly extinct in the EBSA region (area)
No mark : data of species distribution

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