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Coastal Area 15604 Iki Island, Karatsu Bay, and Fukuoka Bay

Basic Information A separate window opensReferences

Relevant municipalities Karatsu, Saga Prefecture; Iki, Nagasaki Prefecture; Koga, Itoshima, Shingu, Nishi Ward, Sawara Ward, Chuo Ward, Higashi Ward, Hakata Ward, Fukutsu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Area (km2) 2000

Reason(s) for selection A separate window opensCriteria

Selected due to high levels for the criteria 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8, and selected by MARXAN software.

Characteristics A separate window opensReferences

These are the waters up to 50 m deep through Iki Island, Karatsu Bay, and Fukuoka Bay. On the Sea of Japan coast of the Higashimatsuura Peninsula including Ogawa and Kashiwa Islands are sea jungles that include expansive communities of Eisenia bicyclis (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). The seaweed beds off the coast of Iki Island are broad in area and highly productive. In the channel to the east are eel grass beds as well. Japanese horseshoe crab have been confirmed to live here. Coral reefs also have been confirmed at Iki (Ishikageura) (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). While the coast from Karatsu Bay through Fukuoka Bay is popular for marine sports and has been artificially disturbed as a result, it has high levels of diversity of species and productivity (Henmi, personal communication). The waters up to 50 m in depth from the Genkai Sea to the Iki Channel are spawning grounds for various fish, including Japanese sardines and swordtip squid in the Iki Channel and Japanese pufferfish, chicken grunt, and others in the Genkai Sea (Aramaki et al., 2005; Ichimaru, 2007; Kono 1989; Omura et al., 1997; Yamaguchi et al., 2012; Ezaki and Eto, 2010). In addition, these waters also include a Japanese murrelet (an IUCN endangered species) breeding colony and have been named an IBA (BirdLife International, 2012). The Wajiro and Imazu tidal mud flats in Fukuoka Prefecture see large numbers of species and populations of snipe and plover visiting during the spring and fall migrations and wintering there. At least 0.25% of the minimum estimated population of Eurasian oystercatcher, lesser sand plover, Numenius phaeopus, grey-tailed tattler, sanderling, red-necked stint, and dunlin have been recorded in the Wajiro tidal mud flats. In the Imazu tidal mud flats, at least 1% of the minimum estimated population of Kentish plover and at least 0.25% of the minimum estimated population of Eurasian oystercatcher and Numenius phaeopus have been recorded. Both these tidal mud flats also are visited by the black-faced spoonbill and have a diversity of benthic organisms, with numerous rare species including Batillaria multiformis, and Chaetopterus cautus (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). These areas are in a highly natural state, with numerous seashore insects as well (Ishii et al, 2002).

Environment / Habitat infromation A separate window opensData source

Tidal mud flats (km2) 9.7
Moba (seaweed bed) (km2) 102.2
Coral reef coverage (km2)
Natural coast (km) 569.4
Rate of natural coast (%) 58.6
Sand bank / submerged sand bank
Other habitats Oyster reef

Species information (*) A separate window opensData source

Criteria 1
<Crustacea>
Cleistostoma dilatatum
<Bivalva, Gastropoda>
Cyclina sinensis
Tegillarca granosa
Meretrix lusoria
Corbicula japonica
Criteria 2
<Aves>
Apus pacificus (Pacific Swift)[Br/Ne]
<Pisces>
Branchiostegus japonicus (Horsehead tilefish)[Sp]
Engraulis japonicus (Japanese anchovy)[Sp]
Seriola quinqueradiata (Japanese amberjack)[Sp]
Trachurus japonicus (Japanese jack mackerel)[Sp]
Sardinops melanostictus (Japanese pilchard)[Sp]
Scomber japonicus (Chub mackerel)[Sp]
Pagrus major (Red seabream)[Sp]
<Crustacea>
Tachypleus tridentatus (Horseshoe club)
<Cephalopoda>
Sepioteuthis lessoniana (Bigfin Reef Squid)
Loligo edulis (Swordtip squid)
Todarodes pacificus (Japanese flying squid)
Criteria 3
<Insecta>
Asclepios shiranui
Halobates matsumurai
<Crustacea>
Helice (Helice) tridens
Cleistostoma dilatatum
Deiratonotus cristatus
Parasesarma plicatum
Ilyoplax pusilla
Uca lactea
Macrophthalmus japonicus
<Bivalva, Gastropoda>
Serratina diaphana
Ellobium chinense
Cerithideopsilla djadjariensis
Littorina brevicula
Tegillarca granosa
Meretrix lusoria
Criteria 7
<Crustacea>
Macrophthalmus abbreviatus
Tachypleus tridentatus (Horseshoe club)
Uca lactea
Macrophthalmus japonicus
<Bivalva, Gastropoda>
Serratina diaphana
Clithon sowerbianus
Meretrix lusoria
Cerithidea rhizophorarum
Cerithideopsilla cingulata
<Vascular Plants>
Aster tripolium (Sea aster)
Triglochin asiaticum
Artemisia fukudo
Zostera marina (Eel grass)[Ad]
Zostera japonica[Ad]

* 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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