Coastal Area 16301 Wakasa Bay

Basic Information References

Reason(s) for selection Criteria

Characteristics References

These are the waters up to 50 m deep from Cape Kyogamisaki on the Tango Peninsula to Cape Echizen in Wakasa Bay, including Tsuruga Bay. The waters of the coast from Cape Kyogamisaki on the Tango Peninsula to Wakasa Bay feature continuous expansive seaweed beds of eel grass and Zostera caespitosa. While Wakasa Bay, along with Toyama Bay, is one of largest bays on the Sea of Japan side, it differs from Toyama Bay in being a shallow bay, and here expansive seaweed beds centered on Sargassum fulvellum species have developed (approx. 2000 ha). This also is the northern limit of natural Eisenia bicyclis in the Sea of Japan (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). In addition, diverse creatures including sea urchin, abalone, turban shell and others live here, a highly productive area that serves as both spawning grounds and habitat for such creatures (Fukui Prefecture, 2005). It also has been reported that the sandy sea floors and sand and mud areas are rich in benthos, and that they form spawning grounds for numerous fish species including Japanese pufferfish, willowy flounder, red seabream, bastard halibut and others (Uehara et al., 2012; Hayashi, 1985; Izeki et al., 2013; Hayashi and Hamanaka, 1979; Shibata et al., 2006). These waters also include a Japanese murrelet (an IUCN endangered species) breeding colony (BirdLife International, 2012).