Merja Zerga

Last updated
Designations
Designated20 June 1980
Reference no.206 [1]

Merja Zerga or Lagune de Moulay Bou Selham is a tidal lagoon on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, 70 km north of the city of Kenitra. Classified as a Permanent Biological Reserve in 1978, it is managed by several government agencies. [2]

Panoramic view of the Merja Zerga, taken from the city of Moulay Bousselham Merja Zerga.jpg
Panoramic view of the Merja Zerga, taken from the city of Moulay Bousselham

The lagoon, which covers 4,500 hectares, receives water from the Oued Drader and from the local water table. Its average depth is 1.5 metres. The area's annual rainfall (600–700 mm) results in winter floods that inundate the surrounding areas.

A Ramsar Convention site, the lagoon hosts 100 bird species and has been identified as a key site on the East Atlantic Flyway. [3] Between 15,000 and 30,000 ducks overwinter at the lagoon, and it regularly holds 50,000 to 100,000 waders. Its permanent species include Asio capensis . Winter visitors include ruddy shelduck, common shelduck, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, northern shoveler, marbled teal, greater flamingo, common coot, pied avocet, grey plover, and slender-billed curlew. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breydon Water</span>

Breydon Water is a 514.4-hectare (1,271-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It is a Local Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is part of the Berney Marshes and Breydon Water nature reserve, which is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duddon Estuary</span> Estuary and SSSI in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England

The Duddon Estuary is the sandy, gritty estuary of the River Duddon that lies between Morecambe Bay and the North Lonsdale coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cemlyn Bay and lagoon</span> Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wales

Cemlyn Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Anglesey, North Wales, approximately 2.5 km west of Wylfa nuclear power station, within the community of Cylch-y-Garn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary</span> Lake in Gujrat, India

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, consisting primarily of a 120.82-square-kilometre (46.65 sq mi) lake and ambient marshes, is situated about 64 km to the west of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village, in the Gujarat state of India. Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. It was declared a bird sanctuary in April 1969.

The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest Ramsar site in Sindh, covering 566,375 ha, and is located in the Rann of Kutch in Badin District, Sindh, Pakistan. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the government of Sindh in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagoa do Peixe National Park</span>

Lagoa do Peixe National Park is a national park in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was created in 1986 to protect a wintering zone for migratory birds along the Lagoa dos Patos, the estuary of the Guaiba river or Guaíba Lake about 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Porto Alegre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake's Pools</span>

Blake's Pools are a 4 hectare nature reserve owned by Environment Agency and leased by the Avon Wildlife Trust, on the banks of the Congresbury Yeo close to its mouth, near Kingston Seymour, Somerset, in South West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast National Park</span> Nature reserve north of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa

The West Coast National Park lies 88 km (55 mi) north of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The park is found inside of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the R27 coastal road, and runs from the town of Yzerfontein in the south, up to the Langebaan Lagoon. The park is particularly well known for its bird life and for the spring flowers which occur in the months from August to September, especially in the Postberg flower reserve section of the park. The park, with the islands in Saldanha Bay, has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. The park was proclaimed in 1985, and is 36,259.8 hectares (140.000 sq mi) in size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundala National Park</span> National park in Sri Lanka

Bundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbors 197 species of birds, the highlight being the greater flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and redesignated to a national park on 4 January 1993. In 1991 Bundala became the first wetland to be declared as a Ramsar site in Sri Lanka. In 2005 the national park was designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka. The national park is situated 245 kilometres (152 mi) southeast of Colombo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ojo de Liebre Lagoon</span> Coastal lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, translated into English as "hare eye lagoon", is a coastal lagoon located in Mulegé Municipality near the town of Guerrero Negro in the northwestern Baja California Sur state of Mexico. It lies approximately halfway between the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and the U.S.-Mexico border, opening onto the Pacific Ocean.

Akyatan Lagoon is a 14700-hectare wetland ecosystem that is designated as Wetland of International Importance by Ramsar Convention. A major stop over for migrating birds, Akyatan is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. It is the single largest green turtle rookery at the Mediterranean, holding 43% of the Mediterranean nesting population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedy Lake</span> Lake or swamp in Victoria, Australia

Reedy Lake, historically also known as Lake Reedy, is a shallow 5.5-square-kilometre (2.1 sq mi) intermittent freshwater lake or swamp on the lower reaches of the Barwon River, on the Bellarine Peninsula southeast of Geelong in the Australian state of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakes Argyle and Kununurra Ramsar Site</span> Protected area in Western Australia

The Lakes Argyle and Kununurra Ramsar Site comprises an extensive system of artificial freshwater reservoirs, with their associated permanent wetlands, formed by damming the Ord River in the eastern part of the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. The reservoirs include Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra. There are numerous endemic plants and a rich fauna. The 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) site was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on 7 June 1990, making it Ramsar Site 478.

The Songor Lagoon is located at 05°45'N 000°30'E on the eastern coast of Ghana, West Africa. The site covers an area of 28,740 hectares, and it is located just outside the major town of Ada and to the west of the Volta River estuary. It was designated as Ramsar wetland site of international importance number 566 on June 22, 1988. In 2011, UNESCO approved the Songor Biosphere Reserve as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Among several other important functions, it acts as habitat and/or breeding ground for several notable species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moulting Lagoon Important Bird Area</span> Lake in Tasmania, Australia

Moulting Lagoon Important Bird Area is a composite wetland site in eastern Tasmania, Australia. It comprises two adjacent and hydrologically continuous wetlands – Moulting Lagoon and the Apsley Marshes – at the head of Great Oyster Bay, near the base of the Freycinet Peninsula, between the towns of Swansea and Bicheno. Both components of the site are listed separately under the Ramsar Convention as wetlands of international significance. Moulting Lagoon is so named because it is a traditional moulting place for black swans. It is an important site for waterbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khenifiss National Park</span> National park in Morocco

Khenifiss National Park is a national park in the southwest of Morocco, located near Akhfenir on the Atlantic coast in the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra. It was established in 2006. The area of the park is 1,850 square kilometres (710 sq mi). The national park was created to protect desert, wetlands, and coastal dunes.

Jubho Lagoon is a large shallow brackish lagoon located in Sindh, Pakistan. In May 2011 Jubhoo lagoon was inducted into the list of Ramsar sites, consisting of wetlands of international importance.

The Sakumo Ramsar Site also known as the Sakumo Lagoon is a wetland of international importance. It covers an area of 1,400 hectares and is situated along the coastal road between Accra and Tema in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It is about 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Tema. Activities ongoing within the site include farming, fishing, recreation, urban and industrial development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Thames Estuary and Marshes</span>

South Thames Estuary and Marshes is a 5,289-hectare (13,070-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches between Gravesend and the mouth of the River Medway in Kent. Part of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and part is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve. It is part of the Thames Estuary and Marshes Ramsar internationally important wetland site and Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Étang de Palo</span> Body of water

The Étang de Palo is a coastal lagoon beside the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Haute-Corse department on the French island of Corsica. The lagoon is largely unspoiled and is considered ecologically valuable.

References

  1. "Bahía de Samborombón". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "BirdLife IBA Factsheet - Merja Zerga". Birdlife International . Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  3. "Report on the Exchange Programme Planning Workshop". Wetlands International . Retrieved 2009-01-11.

Coordinates: 34°50′N6°15′W / 34.833°N 6.250°W / 34.833; -6.250