Name of Site: Żona fil-Baħar fix-Xlokk
Site Code: MT0000109
Year of designation: 2016/2018 update
Area [ha]: 21915.82
Annex II protected species:
Calonectris diomedea
Importance:
The site was identified in the Maltese marine IBA inventory as result of the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10 NAT/MT/090) due to its importance for Calonectris diomedea during breeding season.
Name of Site: Żona fil-Baħar fin-Nofsinhar
Site Code: MT0000110
Year of designation: 2016/2018 update
Area [ha]: 83485.96
Annex II protected species:
Calonectris diomedea
Puffinus yelkouan
Importance:
The site was identified in the Maltese marine IBA inventory as result of the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10 NAT/MT/090) due to its importance for Calonectris diomedea and Puffinus yelkouan during the breeding season. Note: This site was designated as an SPA and proposed as an SCI in 2016; it was confirmed as an SCI in 2017. This site is now only an SPA, since the SCI area was extended in 2018 and hence given a new site code – MT0000116.
Name of Site: Żona fil-Baħar fit-Tramuntana
Site Code: MT0000106
Year of designation: 2016/2018 update
Area [ha]: 31901.54
Annex II protected species:
Calonectris diomedea
Importance:
The site was identified in the Maltese marine IBA inventory as result of the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10 NAT/MT/090) due to its importance for Calonectris diomedea breeding season. Note: This site was designated as an SPA and proposed as an SCI in 2016; it was confirmed as an SCI in 2017. This site is now only an SPA, since the SCI area was extended in 2018 and hence given a new site code – MT0000115.
Name of Site: Żona fil-Baħar bejn Il-Ponta ta’ San Dimitri (Għawdex) u Il-Qaliet
Site code: MT0000105
Year of designation: 2006/2018 update
Area [ha]: 15880.04
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
Annex II protected species:
Gibbula nivosa
Caretta caretta
Tursiops truncatus
Importance:
This area hosts the largest variety of Posidonia sub-types when considering the marine sites selected to form part of the Natura 2000 Network, with the representativity of each being considered superior. Reefs have also been identified within this site, occurring on hard beds and rocks. This site was proposed as an SCI in 2010, confirmed as an SCI in 2012 and was then extended in 2018.
Name of Site: Żona fil-Baħar bejn Il-Ponta tal-Ħotba u Tal-Fessej (Għawdex)
Site Code: MT0000104
Year of designation: 2012/2018 update
Area [ha]: 168.84
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
Importance:
The Posidonia meadows present within this site comprise small patches with average shoot densities. Regarding reefs, the biotopes present in the inlet and beyond its mouth are typical of ones found along the south-western coast of the Maltese Islands. Sand banks are also present at this site. In fact, vegetation belonging to the Cymodoceion nodosae
is present in several places inside the inlet present at this site, where it mainly forms monospecific stands.
Regarding caves, assemblages of sciaphilic algae present on hard substrata at the mouth and entrance of caves are characterised by species such as the chlorophytes Palmophyllum crassum, Cladophora prolifera and Flabellia petiolata, and sciaphilic brown algae such as Halopteris filicina and Zonaria tourneforti. The most common type of flora found are red algae (Rhodophyta), such as Lithophyllum incrustans and Peysonnelia squamarina. This site was proposed as an SCI in 2010, confirmed as an SCI in 2012 and was then extended in 2018.
Name of Site: Zona fil-Bahar fil-Grigal ta’ Malta
Site code: MT0000107
Year of designation: 2012
Area [ha]: 15519.4
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
Annex II protected species:
Gibbula nivosa
Importance:
The site was identified in the Maltese marine IBA inventory as result of the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10 NAT/MT/090) due to its importance for Hydrobates pelagicus and Puffinus yelkouan.
Name of Site: Zona fil-Bahar fl-Inhawi tad-Dwejra (Ghawdex)
Site Code: MT0000103
Year of designation: 2012
Area [ha]: 228.61
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
Importance:
The Dwejra coastal area in Gozo is considered as an area of international scientific importance in view of a complex of features of interest known from here, including geological, geomorphological, ecological, archaeological, historical and aesthetic aspects. Considering Posidonia meadows, there is an extensive, though non-continuous, bed within the area of ‘Il-Bajja tad-Dwejra’ (Dwejra Bay) where the seagrass strands are dense and healthy. Rocky reefs are present throughout the area and may either be reefs that rise vertically from a sandy bottom littered with large boulders to join submarine bedrock platforms or submarine continuations of emergent cliffs. Associations with Flabellia petiolata and Peyssonnelia squamaria cover most reef areas. A total of five fully submerged caves and six semi-submerged caves are present in the area.
Name of Site: Zona fil-Bahar fl-Inhawi ta’ Ghar Lapsi u ta’ Filfla
Site Code: MT0000102
Year of Natura 2000 designation: 2012
Area [ha]: 2450.51
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
Annex II protected species:
Cystoseira spinosa
Importance:
The islet of Filfla itself is a strict nature reserve and a Natura 2000 site (MT0000016), whereas both the islet and its surrounding marine area are considered as an Important Bird Area (IBA) of EU Importance by BirdLife Malta. The islet of Filfla is also considered a Global Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
Despite the fact that most of the marine species recorded on site are common around the rest of the Maltese Islands, the site’s location, the relatively high species richness and the relatively unpolluted waters of the site justify its protection. Indeed, this site hosts a rich and diverse biota, reflecting a heterogenous bottom. Considering the Posidonia beds, from a survey carried out in 2002, it was discovered that in the Għar Lapsi area, the Posidonia meadow’s rhizome primary production values are amongst the higher values for the Mediterranean Sea.
