The Mediterranean coast of Lebanon: Habitat for endangered fauna and flora

Sustainable Utilisation of Natural Habitats

The Mediterranean coast of Lebanon:

Habitat for endangered fauna and flora

Results of a coastal suruey in 2004

by

Max Kasparek

This report is the result of a joint effort by the MSC Proiect funded by the EU, the MedWet-Coast Proiect funded by the French GEF, and MEDASSET. Field work has been canied outby Max Kasparek (for MSC) and Cherbel Rizk (for MedWetCoast), report preparation wasdone by Max Kasparek.

MSC Project Management Support Consultancy ProiectMinistry of Environment, Beirut

MedWeGoast ProjectBiodiversity conservation in coastial and wetland sites of global importanceMinistry of Environment, Beirut

MEDASSETMeditenanean Association to Save Sea TurtlesLondon & Athens

Gonsultant's address

Dr. Max KasparekM6nchhofstr. 16691 20 Heidelberg, Germany

Tef. (0049') 6221/ 475069Fax (0049)6221 I 471858Email : [email protected]

July 2004.

2

lntroduction

The Lebanese coast has an enormous high population density, which is one of thehighest in the world. The entire coast is only approximately 200 km long, and severalmajor towns, including Beirut, Tripoli and Sour (Tyre) are situated there. The coast istherefore under an enormous pressure emerging from the fast growing human set-tlements, and the never-ending need for land. Housing and infrastructure develop-ment as well as recreation are the major factors with which the Lebanese coast isconfronted. On the other hand, the Lebanese coast is known for its natural beauty,and it is well-known that the coast still harbours natural habitats for endangeredfauna and flora.

In the light of permanent new investments along the coast, there is an urgent need toassess the current status of biodiversity there, and the need for protecting fauna andflora and natural habitats. New investments are threatening biodiversity at the coastmore than anywhere else in the country.

The current assessment was done in the form of a rapid assessment. All beaches ofthe Lebanese coast was assessed at least once. The survey was confined to the flatparts of the coast (beaches) which are the most threatened parts. Rocky parts areusually less interesting for developers, and biodiversity is accordingly less threatenedthere. For the purpose of the survey, one group of animals and one group of habitatswere selected which we believe describe sufficiently the overall status of thebeaches: among animals, marine turtles were selected, as they are not only highlyendangered in the Mediterranean, but their occurrence pattern reflects the occur-rence of undisturbed habitats. For habitats, we selected the occurrence of sanddunes. They are a good indicator for the land use pattern. Sand dunes are often ex-ploited for construction purposes, and are used for recreation. They are thus a highlyendangered type of habitat.

The survey can build on a previous survey for marine turtles carried out in 2001jointly by RAC/SPA and MEDASSET. The report on this survey (Demirayak et al.2002) was a good basis for this report, and has been used as a template for it. As theassessment in 2001 was done relatively late in the season, it could not get a com-prehensive picture on turtle nesting. This report therefore not only updates the statusof marine turtle nesting four years after the initial survey, but it also provides addi-tional information, in particular on habitats.

Methodology

All beaches of the coast of Lebanon were visited by M. Kasparek and Ch. Rizk atleast once during the high turtle nesting season in late June/beginning of July 2004.Some beaches were visited repeatedly.

The report builds on a first survey carried out in 2001 by RAC/SPA and MEDASSET.The report, published in 2002 (Demirayak et al. 2002), was taken as a template forthis survey, and all information was checked, up-dated and additional informationwas added.

All plants mentioned in this inventory have been identified carefully to the best of ourknowledge using plant guides for the eastern Mediterranean. However, as there is no

3

specific guide to the plants of the Lebanese coast available, confirmation of all identi-fications would be required.

Description of habitats.' Coastal habitats were classified according to the EuropeanNature Information System EUNIS which is used by the European Union. EUNISHabitat types classification is a comprehensive pan-European system to facilitate theharmonised description and collection of data across Europe through the use of crite-ria for habitat identification; it covers all types of habitats from natural to artificial, fromterrestrial to freshwater and marine. Habitat type is defined for the purposes of theEUNIS habitat type classification as follows: 'Plant and animal communities as thecharacterising elements of the biotic environment, together with abiotic factors oper-ating together at a particular scale.' All factors included in the definition are ad-dressed in the descriptive framework of the habitat classification. A criteria-based keyhas been developed for all units. lt takes the form of a sequential series of questionswith additional detailed explanatory notes. Depending on the answer chosen, theuser is directed to the next question in the series or to a habitat type identified by theparameters. The user may follow the key question by question, or view the criteria foreach habitat level in a series of static diagrams. In the annexe, we give a list of habi-tat types for coastal habitats, which may be relevant for the Lebanese coast.

Assessment of nesting potential: In general, sea turtle nesting may occur atplaces which are less suitable. Nesting in other Mediterranean countries has, for ex-ample, sometimes observed at tourist beaches between deck chairs, at very narrowbeaches within the splash zone, at very small beaches, and at beaches whose sub-strate is physically less suitable for nesting (such as gravel, shingle). Nests at suchplaces are usually not successful, and the overall nest number at such places is usu-ally very low. These nests therefore do not contribute significantly to the overall popu-lation size. Having this in mind, one has to consider that sea turtle nesting may occurat practically all beaches along the Lebanese coast, but this does not mean thatevery beach where nesting has occurred is actually important for the marine turtlepopulation. What we regard as significant for Lebanon and the Mediterranean is atleast approximately five nests per beach per year. Below that we call it accidentalnesting, and we do not regard beaches with accidental nesting as significant for siteconservation. We thus distinguish for Lebanon the following categories:

. Accidental nesting: lrregular nesting in very low numbers (<5 nests per year)o Low nesting (potential): Although there is some nesting potential, numbers are

very low. The number of nests is usually between five and ten nests per year.. Medium nesting (potential): >10 nests per year. These sites are relevant for site

conservation.. High nesting (potential): Beaches with >20 nests per year. Highly relevant for site

conservation.

As long-term observations covering the whole nesting season are absent for most ofthe beaches, the exact classification is sometimes difficult and somewhat subjective,depending on the experience of the observer. Nevertheless, we are convinced thatthis classification system is sufficient for the purpose of this study.

4

Results and Recommendations

All beaches of the Lebanese coast were surveyed in 2004 and their coastal habitatsand their nesting potential for marine turtles were assessed. We surveyed altogether25 beaches; some of them have not been assessed before.

Long sandy beaches are almost absent from the Lebanese coast. The longest beachis to the north of Sour (El Aabbassiye and El-Bourgheliye; Beach No. S-3), followedby the beach to the south of Sour, which is protected as Sour Nature Reserve (BeachNo. S-2). All other beaches are relatively small, and usually do not exceed a fewhundred of metres in length, and are also often very narrow.

Sand dunes are almost non-existent along the Lebanese coast: the only area whichcan be characterised as sand dune area of significant size is situated to the north ofSour (El Aabbassiye and El-Bourgheliye; Beach No. S-3). There are some other ar-eas with usually very small relicts of former sand dunes, such as in the Sour NatureReserve (Beach No. S-2) or at the beach of Saida Town (Beach No. S-9). In addition,rudiments of sand dunes are often found in the very narrow belt between the sandbeach and agricultural land. Beaches in Lebanon are often separated from agricul-tural fields by high walls which protect agriculture from the influence of the sea, andsand accumulations are then often found in front of these walls. lt is often difficult todecide whether these sand accumulations should be characterised as sand dunes,as they do not follow the classical image of sand dunes, but their plant cover some-times (such as tamarisk scrub) characterises them as such.

Moist and wet dunes slacks are rarely found in Lebanon. The most extensive duneslacks are situated within the Sour Nature Reserve (Beach No. S-2). Vegetation is

dominated by Common Reed (Phragmifes australis) and sedgebeds. Similar sitesare found also at some other places, where their origin is artificial: There is at someplaces incoming surplus irrigation water from agricultural fields, which is accumulatedin the sand before it finds its way to the sea. Such places are found e.g. at the SourNature Reserve South Beach (Ras Al Ain, Beach No. S-2a) or at Damour Beach(Beach S-12). To the north of Beirut, the only "dune" slack was identified at ByblosBeach (Beach No. N-14), and this was only a very small moist reedbed within a smallsandy area.

Sandy beaches and sand dunes are in particular practically absent from the beachesto the north of Beirut; the only site worthwhile to mention in this direction is a smallsandy beach near Cheick Zennad (Beach No. N-19). This beach has been severelydamaged by sand extraction by local people, and is heavily polluted with plastic andother garbage, but would nevertheless suitable for protection and rehabilitation.

We found four beaches with a high nesting potential for marine turtles. Both species,Loggerhead Turtles, Caretta caretta, and Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, nest there.The highly endangered Green Turtle is less abundant.

Two of these four beaches are already legally protected, i.e. Sour Nature Reserve(Beach No. S-2) and Palm lslands (Beach No. N-17). The other two beaches are El-Mansouri (Beach No. S-2) and the beaches to the north of Sour (El Aabbassiye andEl-Bourgheliye; Beach No. S-3). Whereas El-Mansouri is a privately-owned beachand therefore relatively save, the beaches to the north of Sour are in need of urgentlegal protection.

5

There are two beaches whose turtle nesting potential has been classified as "me-

dium": The beaches to the south of the mouth of Litani River Beach No. 54) andMahmoudiye Beaches (Beach No. 5-6).

Turtle nesting potential at the other 19 beaches is classified as low or accidentalnesting. The nesting potential of some of these beaches has previously been overes-timated. Nesting potential is low at these beaches because many of them are physi-cally less suitable (gravel and shingle beaches, too small to provide place for signifi-cant turtle numbers), they have been damaged seriously (sand extraction for con-struction purposes, followed by beach erosion) or development has already takenplace (construction of houses, tourist installations and infrastructure).

Combining the results from the mapping of sandy habitats and marine turtle nesting,there are the following conservation priorities:

1. Palm lsland and Sour Nature Reserve: Continuation of already initiated and ongo-ing conservation efforts.

2. Beaches to the north of Sour (El Aabbassiye and El-Bourgheliye; Beach No. S-3).This beach has the highest conservation priority, as it holds the only significant sanddunes of Lebanon (white dunes and fixed grey dunes with dune thickets). This habi-tat type does not occur elsewhere in Lebanon and must be protected. The sanddunes have already severely damaged, especially they have been flattened for tour-ist use, and there is a need to stop this. Furthermore, this area has a high nestingpotential for marine turtles, and both Loggerhead and Green Turtles were found nest-ing there.

Beach No. S-3 is therefore in an urgent need for management, and this should in-clude the following:

- Clarification of land tenure issues. Assessment of the question or private ver-sus public lands.

- Delimiting the borders of the area to be protected. The area extends towardsthe mouth of Litani River and even beyond. A careful assessment of habitatsand fauna and flora will reveal the exact borders of a potential protected area.

- Securing the current status of the remaining sand dunes. Protecting themagainst excavation for sand, and against flattening for tourist purpose.

- Strictly prohibiting the public access to the sand dunes, as already walking onthem may give them considerable damage.

- Initiating rehabilitation measures for sand dunes at already damaged places.- Regulating public access to the beach. Whereas the beach may be used for

recreation purposes by local people (swimming, going fishing, etc.), this mustbe done under certain restrictions (no access to the beach at night, restrictingthe area which is accessible by the public).

It should be taken as a good opportunity that the beach is bordered by private land,and that some of the sand dunes may be owned by private persons. The private landmay become a shield which helps to limit public access to the area.

3. Cheikh Zennad Beach (Beach No. N-19). This beach, situated towards the borderwith Syria, is the only beach to the north of Beirut, which has (rudimentary) sanddunes. Although marine turtle nesting has not yet been confirmed, it is regarded as apotential nesting site, and the area is an appropriate candidate for rehabilitation thesand dunes. Urgent measures should include:

- Stop of sand extraction by local villagers from Cheikh Zennad for constructionpurposes

6

- Clcer*ne th. b..df,turn Cdc frd drr gltg- Sbp tre dl|lro d whhhr (n pmblrr d hnry nhidr rtch r tsrbns) on

tho baedl.- ComU*ng the cdrbfdtmril of nnen hr th. nhSffirUon d ttc s.nd

durr (c.9. lry onfil&nr w|Ur bmdndtrr br *hhg ttc ..nd)- GMng ttr elca Lgd prilclon h onrbffin Sr thc.dnrr tfihcr hlrd.

7

Table: Status of sand dunes along the Lebanese coast. The beaches are listed from

the south to the north. For explanations see text.

B t habitats B 2 habitats Remarks

Level I 1 2 3 4 6 7 I 1 2 3 4 5 6

Level 2 3 t 2 1 5 I 2 1 7 e 1 3 1 1 2 I 2 3 1 5 3

s-1 O a o

s-2A o o o o o

s-2 o O o o o o

s-3 a o o o o

S4 o o o o O o

s-5 o o o o

S€ O o a a o O

s-7 o O o a

S.7A O o

s-8 O o

s-9 O o a

s-10 o o o

s-11 o o

s-12 o o o o

S-12A a

S.128 o o

N-134 o o

N-13 o o o o

N-138 o

N-14 o o o a O

N-15 o o

N-16 o a

N-l7 o O o o

N-18 o o

N-19 o o a

8

Table: Sea turtle nesting potential of the beaches of the Lebanese coast. Thebeaches are listed from the south to the north. For explanations of the classificationsystem, see under methodology.

BeachNo.

Turtle nestlng potentlalRemerks

Accld. Low Medlum Hlgh

s-1 o Nesting beach, both Caretta and Chelonia,up to 45 nests per year

S.2A o Some nesting potential, low due to physicalstructure

s-2 o Nesting beach, Caretta only

s-3 o Nesting beach, both Caretta and Chelonia

S4 a Nesting confirmed for both species, beachnarrow with only a few places suitable fornesting

s-5 o Some potentialfor nesting, beach narrow;heavy tourist use.

s-6 o Nesting confirmed; nesting area small

s-7 o Nesting confirmed; heavy tourist use.

S.7A o Beach narrow, heavy tourist use.

s-8 o Beach narrow with gravel and shingle.

s-9 o Physically well suited, but much human dis-turbance (located within the town of Saida).

s-10 o Physically suitable, but heavy tourist use.

s-11 o Physically less suitable, human use.

s-12 o Physically less suitable

S.124 a Too narrow.

S.128 o Tourist beach.

N-13A o Too narrow;gravel & shingle;tourist use.

N-13 o Physically less suitable; tourist use.

N.l38 o Too narrow; too much tourism.

N-14 o Narrow tourist beach.

N-15 o Beach provides some fine sand, tourist use.

N-l6 o Physically suitable, but very small.

N-17 o Up to 36 nests per year; Beach very small.

N-l8 o Very narrow with gravel.

N-19 o Only small area suitable for nesting.

I

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Fig. Map of the southern part of Lebanon with beach sections S1-S9.

10

El-Mansouri Beach - S-l

Coordinates:

Length:

width:

EUNIS habitatclassification:Photographs:

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:Marine turtles:

Protection:

33"11'N,35"11'E

1.4 km. The beach is divided into 6 sections: A (236 m), B (142 m),

C (108 m), D (265 m), E 8518 m), and F (132 m). Due to flat beachrocks and damage of the beach through sand extraction, the totalbeach length suitable for turtle nesting is approx. 1.0 km.

Varying between 23 and 30 m, with sand dunes extending further1G-40 m.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 1.24, B 1.25, B 3.1, B 3.2.

109_0920, 109_0921, 109_0924, 109_0925, 109_0926, 109_0927,1 09_0928, 1 09_0929, 109_0930, 1 09_0931.

One of the few large beaches of Lebanon. The beach consists of finesand, faced by coralline reefs on the low tide line. Following the tidalzone, the beach rises up in a smooth slope to where the vegetationzone starts. The dune system is intenupted to the rear by a wall atthe boundary of the private agricultural land. The beach is flattest atthe northern and southern ends with a higher profile in the middle.

At the southern end there is a ruined house next to the beach with athree-storied building behind it, whose lights illuminate this part ofthe beach at the night. At the north end of the beach there is a largebeachside house, one of which is close to the sea and its gardenlights are visible from the beach. In this particular zone, some disori-ented hatchling tracks were observed in 2QO2 moving towards thelight. During the day, the beach is used by local people for swim-ming, especially during the afternoons. At weekends local familiesfrequent the beach for swimming. Access to the beach is limited byprivate agricultural land, but there is an open access road next to theruined building at the southern end, and a road and footpath at thenorthern end.

None. Only small sandy areas with some open vegetation.

The beach was surveyed in 2001 by Mona Khalil, and she did thiswork again in 2002 and 2003 with the support by MEDASSET. Thework in 2002 was carried out under supervision of Nic Newbury, andin 2003 under supervision of Freya St. John. In 2004, a survey wasagain organized by Mona Khalil, in cooperation with MEDASSET(Monica Aureggi). In 2001, a total of 45 nests were observed. In

2002, the number was with 42 nests almost identical, and in 2003with 38 nests slightly lower. In 2004, several nests of both Carettaand Chelonia were observed by late June/early July. Nest predationwas in particular high in 2001 and 2002, but attempts to protect turtlenests against predators (mainly straying dogs and jackals) with meshwire have been successful. In 2003, the overall nesting success was47o/o for Caretta, and 60% for Chelonia.

None. However access to the beach is limited due to private agricul-tural land adjoining the beach. Beach users are informed about nest-ing activity by the farm owner.

11

Tab. Nest distribution of Caretta carefta and Chelonia mydas at El-Mansouri beach in 2002and 2003. For beach sections, see the map.

Figure. Map of El-Mansouri beach.

Sour Nature Reserve Ras Al-Ain S-2A

Goordinates: 34o14'N, 35'13'ELength: 0.8 km (potential turtle nesting area: 0.3 km).

Width: 20 to 40 metres.

EUNIS habitat Habitat types 8 1.21, B 1 .24,8 1.84,8 2.2, B 2.3, B 3.1 ,8 3.2-classification:

spec|es year beach section

A B c D E F Total

Caretta o 2002 10 0 0 7 3 17 37

o 2003 4 4 1 6 1 14 33

Chelonia . 2002 4 0 0 1 0 0 5o 2003 0 0 0 3 0 0 3

total no. nests 18 4 1 17 4 31 78

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12

Photographs:

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Sour Nature

Coordinates:

Length:

width:EUNIS habitatclassification:Photographs:

Description:

Beach use:

107 _0782,107 _0787 ,

107 _0792,107 _0797,

1 07_0783, 107 _0784, 1 07_0785, 1 07_0786,107_0788, 107_0789, 107_0790, 107 _0791,107_0793, 107 _0794, 107_0795, 1 07_0796,

1 07_0798, 107_0799, 107_0800, 1 07_0801

This is the southern part of Sour Nature Reserve, which is sepa-rated by the Rachidiye Refugee Camp into two parts. This part ismuch smaller, and only small parts of the beach consist only finesand, most are of coarse-grained sand and shingle. There aresmall remnants of former sand dunes, and a freshwater pool

which is continuously fed with water coming from the agriculturalfields. Vegetation in the sandy parts of the area include Euphor'bia poralia, Otanthus maritimus, Sporobolus pungens, etc.

Compared to the northern part of the reserye area, this part isrelatively remote, with only a few visitors.

Some small areas of sand, no dunes.

No nesting confirmed so far. During the complete assessment in

2004, this beach will be monitored for nesting activities. Nestingpotential low due to the small size of the sandy beach.

Nature Reserve Status since 1998.

Reserye Beach S-2

3401 5'N, 35'1 3'E

1.4 km

Varying between 50 and 100 metres.

Habitat Wpes B 1.21, B 1.24, B 1.31, B 1.32, B 1.44, B 1.84.

107 _0778, 107_0779, 107_0780, 107 _0781Whereas the northern part of the beach (next to the town of Sour) isintensively used by tourists, the southern part is relatively pristine,

measuring up to 70 metres width in places. Sand dunes lie behindthe beach. They are relatively flat, and seem to be the remains of aformerly much larger and higher sand dune complex. The dunes arerich in Gramineae, including Elymus furcatus and Ammophilaarenaria. Further tO the rear, dune slacks are found, with permanent

stagnant water. These slacks are vegetated, with Common Reed(Phragmifes ausfralis) and Juncus acutus being typical species. Thesand is extremely fine in texture and heavily compressed near thenorth end of the beach.

At the northern end of the reserve area, many beach huts are usedas restaurants for daily users. The lights from the restaurants, thoseof the road to the rear of the beach, and those of a car park illumi-nate a large area of the beach. The large and wide flat beach in thenorth are probably only the remains of sand dunes, whose sand hasbeen removed for construction purposes. There is a car park behindthe restaurants where the sand has been completely compacted.Cars drive to the beach up to 150-200 metres. The entrance to thebeach is unrestricted, and it is used recreationally until late at night.This uncontrolled access to the beach seriously threatens the poten-

tial for nesting activity.

13

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Relatively flat sand dunes are situated to the rear of the beach. Theycontain dune slacks, which are rich in vegetration (Phragmites, Jun-cus). Most of the sand dunes have been destroyed and flattened.

Loggerhead turtle nesting was confirmed in June and July 20M,when six nests were found. A complete assessment of nesting activi-ties is ongoing (MEDASSET & MedWetCoast:: M. Aureggi). Thesouthem part of area has a relatively good nesting potential, despiteits small size.

Nature Reserve Status since 1998.

Figure: Map of the Sour Nature Reserve.

1 08_081 1 ,

1 08_081 6,1 08_0821 ,

1 08_0826,1 08_0831 ,

1 08_0836,

El Aabbassiye and El-Bourgheliye (North Sour) Beaches S-3

Goordinates:

Length:

width:EUNIS habltatclasslflcation:Photographs:

33"1 7' - 33'1 8'N, 35014',E

approx. 1.7 km.

4 - 25 metres.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 1.25, B 1.4, B 1.61.

108_0807, 108_0808, 108_0809, 108_0810,108_0812, 108_0813, 108_0814, 108_0815,109_0817, 108_0818, 108_0819, 108_0820,108_0822, 108_0823, 108_0824, 108_0825,108_0827, 108_0828, 108_0829, 108_0830,108_0832, 108_0833, 108_0834, 108_0835,1 09_0837, 1 08_0838, 1 08_0839, 1 08_0840.

14

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Coordinates:

Length:

width:EUNIS habitatclassification:

Photographs:

Litani River (Nahr Litani, Nahr el Qamisiye) South Beach S-4

33'19'N,35'14'Eapprox. 4.5 km.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 1.25, BB 3.2.

109_0933, 109_0934, 109_0935,109_0938, 109_0939, 109_0940,109_0943, 109_0944, 109_0945,1 09_0948, 1 09_0949.

The beach begins to the North of the town of Sour and continuesup to the Ras Ed Dine el Bahr headland to the North. The beachis bordered by sand dunes covered with dune plants. The width ofthe beach is sometimes over 50 metres, with fine sand smoothlyrising up to the dunes. In the southern part, grey sand dunes arepresent, with well-developed sand dune vegetation. These in-cfude Yellow-horned poppies (Glaucium flavum), variousGramineae (including Sporobulus pungens), €per plant (Cap-paris ovata), Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum), sea rocket (Cakilemaritima), sea lavender (Limonium sinuatum), sea daffodil (Pan-cratium maritimum), and many others. The sand hills are up to 15m high. The highest of them, in particular those to the rear, areoften covered with tamarisk bushes (Tamarix sp.). However,many of these dunes have been severely damaged or destroyedby excavating sand, often followed by wind erosion. At the placeof the El Aabbassiye Beach, a public beach near the town ofSour, there were formerly sand dunes, but they have been exca-vated and flattened. Thus a 80 m wide beach has come into place

- wider than the natural beach.

The beach is partially occupied by illegal housing. The Southernend of the North Sour beach is quite densely populated andspoiled by barracks and illegal buildings. Towards the North thebeach is empty and less polluted, but there are car and bike tyretracks to be seen. The beach is heavily used during the summermonths by local people from Sour and the nearby settlements.

Sand dune ridges up to 15 m high: grey dunes with annualgrasses and dune thickets consisting mainly of tamarisk scrub.Probably the best dune area of Lebanon, although it has sufferedconsiderably from sand removal and flattening.

The north Sour was confirmed to be a turtle nesting beach. In2003, the beach was visited a total of six times between 9th Juneand 7th July, and a total of 5 C. caretta and 1 C. mydas nestswere recorded on the continuously monitored 1.26 km stretch ofbeach (St. John et al. 2004). In late June/early July 2004, threeGreen Turtle and two Loggerhead Turtle nests were found. Regu-lar nest counting is ongoing (MEDASSET & MedWetCoast).

None.

1.61, B 1.84,82.3, B 3.1,

109_0936, 109_0937,109_0941, 109_0942,109_0946, 109_0947,

Description: The beach extends from the Sour North Beaches in the south to

15

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Yahoudiye

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

the mouth of river Litani in the north. There is no sharp border be-tween this beach and the Sour North Beaches, and the approxi-mate border has been accepted as the place, where the beachbecomes narrower and thus less suitable for turtle nesting. Alongmost of its length, there are flat beach rocks, with some narrowsand beach behind it. The sand is usually find to coarse-grained.At the mouth of the Litani River, several walls have been built ex-tending into the sea, causing erosion on each side of the river.Most of the places to the south of the river mouth are rocky. Atplaces where freshwater comes in (mostly water from irrigation),small reed beds (Phragmifes ausfra/is) are found.

A wall, which has been constructed for protecting the agriculturalland against the sea, runs parallel to the edge of the sea over al-most the entire beach length, and at close distance to the splashzone. There are houses at the northern end with possible accessto the beach. Further south there is an army check-point and asummer house located close to beach.

None, although some small areas to the rear can be classified ascoastal dune scrub.

H. Bloquet monitored the southern end of this beach in June andJuly 2001, and noted altogether 1 1 turtle nests, four of them pre-dated. In 2004, three Loggerhead and one Green Turtle nestswere found on 1.7.2004. The nesting potential is medium. Al-though there are suitable places for turtle nesting here and there,the portion of the beach suitable for turtle nesting is very low,probably less than one kilometre long.

None.

Beach S-5

34"21'N,35014'E

1.0 km.

Usually varying between 25 and 40 metres, but up to 80 m wide.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 2.13, B 2.3, B 3.1, B 3.2.

None.

The beach is bordered by agricultural land. There is a rocky sec-tion to the north. lt consists of a number of small beaches sepa-rated by sea walls and rocky outcrops. Evidence of coastal ero-sion was observed on this beach.

Yahoudiye beach has limited public access. Towards the northernend of the beach, with pathway access, a beach hut operates asa buffet. The beach is heavily used for domestic tourism and wassurrounded with litter and rubbish left by the daily visitors. Thereis a small market-shop behind the beach where a few barracksare located. At the southern end of Yahoudiye beach the naturalbeach system and dunes were being destroyed by bulldozers forthe construction of hotels.

None.Sand dunes:

16

Marine turtles:

Protection:

MahmoudiyeCoordinates:

Length:

width:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Adloun Beaches S-7

Coordinates:

Length:

width:


33"23 N, 35'1 5'E

approx. 0.8 km.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, 2.3,8 2.4, B 3.1, B 3.2.

None.

The owners of the agricultural land behind the beach reported in2001 that sea turtle nesting activity had been observed in thepast. Four dead sea turtles, apparently Caretta caretta. were re-ported in 2001. Nesting potential low.

None.

Beaches 5-6

33"22'N,35'14'Eapprox. 1.0 km.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 1.44, B 1.61, 2.1, B 2.2.

1 06_0689, 106_0690, 106_0691, 1 06_0692, 106_0693.

Starting at El Mahmoudiye, the beach ends at the Ras MinetAbou Zeid rocky cliff. The beach narrows at both the southernand northern ends, widening in the middle to around 70 metreswidth. At the southern end of the beach, the wet zone reaches 17metres. To the rear of the splash zone, rests of sand dunes arefound. The relict dunes are relatively old, and are in an advancedsuccession stage (grey dunes). Tamarisks are growing on them,which is a good indicator species for fixed grey dunes and maquisdunes.

The access to the beach is not easy and only a few local peopleuse it for recreation (including for beach ball). There is a big wallconstructed to the rear of the beach to separate it from the agri-cultural land. The beach was polluted with litter, mostly plastic.

To the rear of the beach, there are some sandy ridges coveredwith dune thickets, consisting mainly of tamarisk bushes.

Three predated nests were found in 2001, with egg shells aroundthe nests, and both crab and dog prints. ln July 2004, some pitswere seen in the sand which could have been old nest pits. Adead adult Caretta caretta which had been washed ashore wasfound on 24.6.2004. The overall nesting potential is low: althoughsuitable for turtle nesting, significant nesting can only occur in themiddle part, which is wide enough, but only a few hundred metreslong.

None.

17

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Sarafand Beach S-ZA

Coordinates:

Length:

width:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

El-Aaddoussiye Beach S-8

Coordinates:

Length:


Adfoun beach starts at the Northern end of Ras Minet Abou zeid,and is fronted by coralline reefs. The beach has a crescent shapeto the north, and widens at the northern end. lt consists mosfly ofa mixture of sand and shingle. The middle of the beach is cov-ered with dead sea grass. Much of the beach has been destroyedby coastal protection measures, which deposit gravel and rubbleon the beach.

Agricultural lands back the beach, with artificial dunes built toprevent incursion by the sea. As the agricultural lands are private,public access to the beach is limited. A couple of local fishermenwere seen on the beach.

None.

Local farmers reported sea turtle nesting in 2001, and also re-ported two dead sea turtles on the beach earlier that year. Onefalse nest and one possible nest were observed in 2001. Thenesting potential is low: the beach has a suitable structure fornesting, sand quality is fine, but beach use is heavy.

None.

33027',N, 35"16',E

0.4 km.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1.24.

106_0678, 106_0679, 106_0690, 1 06_0691, 106_0692.

The beach is situated within the town of Sarafand. lt is very nar-row and consists of fine sand. Some sand dune vegetation isfound in the upper part of the beach. Houses extend up to thebeach.

Heavy pollution with garbage and litter. Sewage is dischargedinto the Mediterranean Sea directly in front of the town.

None.

No evidence. Only accidental nesting may occur due to the nar-rowness of the beach and heavy human disturbance.

None.

33"29'N, 35'1 g',E

0.5 km.


Habitat Wpes B 2.13, B 2.3.

1 06_0675, 1 06_0676, 1 06_0677.

18

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:Protection:

Saida (Sidon)

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

The beach starts north of Dahr-El-Borj and ends at the refinery inthe north. lt is a very narrow gravely beach. Sometimes, thebeach is sandy, with only an upper layer of gravel. To the rear ofthe beach, there is agricultural land, and walls and/or reed beltsseparate the beach from these areas. Local people report that thebeach was larger in the past.

There is evidence of heavy sand and shingle extraction. The Dahrel Baj Hotel is located at the southern end of the beach.

None.

No evidence observed. Only accidental nesting may occur.

None.

Beaches S-9

33"34'N, 35"22'E (North Saida), 33'33'N, 35'23'E (South Saida).

3.0 km (total length).


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 1.31 .

None.

The Saida stadium divides the Saida beaches into two sections, asouthern and a northern one. Both are gently sloping beachesconsisting of fine sand. They are only 20 metres wide in thesouth, but are rising up to 50 metres wide in the north. Thebeaches start from Saida town, and continue up to Ras-Es Sak-hr6-in the north.

The coastal highway runs along the beach. All lights from theroad shine onto the beach. Erosion is present, probably due tothe road construction. Sand accumulation has stopped com-pletely. The beach is easily accessible. To the south of Saidatown, a solid waste dumping area is located on the coast. Sew-age from the town of Saida is discharged into the sea, causingmuch pollution of the sea and an awful smell. Nevertheless, manypeople use the beach for swimming.

The entire beach is flat and there are no sand dunes present,apart from some embryonic dunes to the rear of the beach. How-ever, it seems that sand dunes have been present here in formertimes, and have been destroyed.

Nesting reported by local fishermen. Nesting potential low. Thebeach would be physically suitable for nesting, but its locationwithin the town of Saida causes too much human interferences.

None.

19

Fig. Map of the middle part of Lebanon with beach sections N15 - N19.

20

Er Rmaile S-10

Coordinates:

Length:

widrh:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Jiye Beach

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

33'39'N, 35"24',E

0.9 km.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 2.13.

1 06_0655.

The beach conslsts of fine sand.

Er Rmaile beach has been privatised. lt starts at the tourist facili-ties called Dream Club in the North, and ends at the La Cote Do-ree Club. A road lies behind the beach. The whole beach is cov-ered by sun umbrellas, sun beds and other daily use facilities.Public access is not allowed and private property signs are inplace by all the paid entrances. The wire fences between eachfacility reaches down into sea. There is very heavy beach use.

None.

No evidence for nesting found. Local residents reported turtlenesting in the past, but not recently. Accidental nesting may oc-cur. The beach would be suitable according to beach morphol-ogy, but is low due to heavy tourist use.

None.

s-l 1

33040'N, 35'25'E1.6 km (total length).


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 3.1, B 3.2.

None.

Large sandy beach, rising with a gentle slope. The beach is natu-rally intersected by some rocks and artificially by some construc-tions including a jetty which leads to a small island off the coast.A dirt road runs immediately behind the beach over a few hun-dred metres. In some parts, the beach is first gently sloping, butthen rises steeply towards agricultural land in the rear. Vegetationthere incfudes Sea Holly, Eryngium maritimum.

The beach starts from the Refinery in the South. There is agroyne (to prevent longshore drift) built into the sea in the north,which is already causing erosion. There are litter problems both inthe sea and on the beach. A side road behind the beach is usedby local residents. Two and three floor apartments are locatedbehind the beach. The south end of beach near the Refinery isused daily by tourists. To the north of the beach, by the sea wall,sand extraction and levelling has recently taken place to establisha private beach. The municipality of Jiye has leased the beach toprivate enterprise.

21

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Damour Beach S-12

Coordinates:

Length:

width:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

None.

Local fishermen and residents from Jiye reported in 2001 occa-sional sea turtle nesting. No indications for nesting in 2004. Thenesting potential is low due to constructions on the beach, andlight pollution from the Refinery.

None.

33'42'N, 35'26'E - 33'44'N, 35"26'E

1.2 km.

Mostly varying between 20 and 40 metres, but up to 80 m in thenorth.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .24, B 1.44,8 1.84.

1 06_0654.

The beach begins at the end of the Mina Es Saadiyat rocks in theSouth, and continues towards El Kharayeb. lt is mostly narrowwith large areas of shingle and gravel. The southern end of thebeach is wide with fine sand, but near El Khiam it becomes nar-row. From there it continues to be quite narrow along the edge ofthe agricultural lands (mostly banana plantations), widening againby Tall Er Rsas. Sandy area is found there behind a line of flatbeach rocks and a natural beach rampart. The sandy area hastypicaf sand dune vegetation. This includes Xanthium strumarium,Echium plantagineum, and Cappar.s sprnosa, indicating a highersuccession stage of the dune (fixed grey dune). At a place whereirrigation water from the banana plantation is discharged onto thebeach, a dune slack is found with vegetation clearly distinct fromthe surrounding. Beach erosion occurs along the entire shoreline.

The southern end of the beach is occupied by the tourist facilitiesof Mina Es Saadiyat Al Khiam. From some points, beach accessis limited through military checkpoints.

Small rests of former sand dunes, with a dune slack (incomingfreshwater from irrigated fields).

Turtle nesting was reported 2001 by an old local resident. Nonesting evidence was observed that year, except for an old pos-sibly false nest. In 2004, a possible old nest was found in thenorthern part. The nesting potential is low. The sandy parts arecovered by tourist facilities. Otherwise, the beach is physicallyless suited for turtle nesting. Nesting in the northern parts mayonly occur when turtle females get over the flat beach rocks.

None.Protection:

22

Beirut Airport Beach S-12A

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:Protection:

Beirut City Beach S-128

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

33048'N, 35"29',E

0.2 km.

Mostly only 10 m wide, or even less.

Habitat types B 1.21.

None (taking photographs interdicted).

Very narrow beach in front of the runway of Beirut InternationalAirport. As the beach is so narrow, all of it belongs to the splashzone and is regularly inundated by higher waves. The beach con-sists of fine sand. Concrete walls protect the coast against thesea immediately behind the sand beach. Those parts which be-long to the airport are not accessible. Some other parts borderthe coastal road.

None. Sewage is discharged into the sea through pipes crossingthe beach.

None.

No indications for turtle nesting found in 2004.

None.

33050'N, 35'29'E1.2 km.

approx. 70 m wide.


None.

Sand beach situated within the City of Beirut and used as publicbeach. Practically no gravel and shingle. Gently sloping from thesea. A road runs parallel to the beach in the rear.

The beach is much frequented by visitors using it for swimmingand sun-bathing. lt is regularly cleaned from garbage washedashore and litter left by visitors. The beach is also flattened withthe help of caterpillars.

None. There had been sand dunes here before, but they havebeen flattened and excavated.

No indications for turtle nesting found in 2004. Turtle nesting po-tential very low due to its location within the City of Beirut and itsheavy tourist use.

None.

23

Jouni6 N-l3ACoordinates:

Length:width:EUNIS habitatclassification:Photographs:

Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

El-Aaqaibe

Goordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

33059'N, 35"39'E

approx. 0.4 km.

approximately 10 to 15 metres.

Habitat Wpes B 2.2, B 2.3.

105_0589, 105_0590.

Situated within the town of Juniye. Relatively steeply increasingbeach with much gravel and less sand.

There is construction work around the beach, affecting the beachitself. Some sand and gravel extraction occurs. The beach isused for entering the sea, although the physical structure of thebeach does not make it a much preferred one for visitors. Also aroad runs parallel to the beach in close distance.

None.

No indications for turtle nesting found in 2004. The nesting poten-tial is very low due to the physical structure of the beach and itslocation within a town.

None.

Beach (Mouth of Nahr lbrahim) N-13

34"04'N, 35"39'E

1.0 km (total length).

Up to approx. 40 metres.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 2.13, B 2.3, B 2.5.

1 05_0591, 1 05_0592, 1 05_0593.

Mostly gravel with a few sandy areas. There is fine sand at thesouthern end. The beach includes also the mouth of Nahr lbra-him. At both sides of the river mouth, the beach is relativelysteeply increasing, and consists mostly of coarse-grained gravel.Places with sand are mostly covered with a layer of coarse shin-gle. During summer, the river does not reach the sea due to lowwater level: a narrow land bridge separates the river from the seathen.

The beach is situated in the small town of El-Aaqaibe, the popula-tion of which increases significantly during summer. A fishingharbour (El Mina) was built at the southern end of the sandybeach in the late 1990s. From the fishing harbour to the northernend, the beach is covered during summer with tourist facilitiessuch as sun beds, tables, chairs, and umbrellas. There are sum-merhouses to the rear of the beach. Several retaining walls havebeen built in front of the houses to protect their foundation againstthe sea. These walls, however, give rise to beach erosion. Thereare regularly fishermen around the mouth of Nahr lbrahim.

None.Sand dunes:

24

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Santa Preri

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Jbail (Byblos)

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Turtle nesting was reported in the past by local people. No evLdence was found during the 2001 and 20O4 surveys. Nesting mayoccur accidentally. The northern section of the beach could havesome limited nesting potential if tourist facilities were removed atnight.

None.

Beaches N-138

34005'N, 35'39'E0.3 km.

Nowhere wider than 20 metres.

Habitat types B 1.21.

105_0594, 105_0595.

The Santa Preri Beach is a tourist beach situated to the south ofHalat. lt is very narrow and consists of fine sand, and there aresteep rocky slopes immediately to the rear of the beach.

These beach belongs to some hotels situated at the beach, andsun beds, umbrellas, etc. are found on the beach.

None.

No indication for turtle nesting, and nesting may occur only acci-dentally. Despite the fact that the beach consists of fine sand, it istoo narrow for turtle nesting, and the tourist pressure is much toohigh.

None.

Beaches N-14

34"07'N, 35'38'E

1.4 km.

Up to 40-60 metres at places, but mostly narrower.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .8411.85, B 2.1, B 2.5.

105_0596, 105_0597, 105_0598 (these three photographs fromthe south of Byblos), 105_0599, 105_0600, 105_0601 (from thenorth).

The Jbail (Byblos) beach are divided in two by the town of Jbail.Both beaches show the same characteristics - fine sand with gen-tly rising slopes. There is very small area at the southern endwhere some sand dunes could develop. In a moist and wet sanddunes sfack, some vegetation such as reed Phragmites ausfralisand shrub is growing.

These beaches are very popular with tourists, and are coveredwith sun beds, umbrellas, tables and chairs. There are privateenterprise facilities for daily use. The facilities are also open at

Beach use:

25

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

El-Heri N-15

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

night time, and their lights illuminate the beaches. On bothbeaches, the tourist facilities are in the middle of the beach.

Thee are some small rests of former sand dunes, and a duneslack where Common Reed is growing.

Fishermen reported in 2001 often seeing Caretta caretta andChelonia mydas in the sea, and also nesting of C. caretta on thebeach. Nesting may occur only accidentally. There are someplaces with a beach morphology suitable for turtle nesting, but thetourist pressure is much too high.

None.

34"18'N, 35'42'E1.2 km.

30 metres.


None.

El-Heri beach lies in a bay on a typical rocky coastal stretch ofNorth Lebanon. lt is divided by the Cement Factory port. Thesouthwest end of the beach is narrow through artificial causes,but after 230 metres the beach enlarges, and continues right upto Chekka. From the Southwest to the Factory port, the beach isabout 50 metres wide, with fine sand. After the port the beach be-comes very narrow and is not accessible.

The southwest end of the beach is full of hotels and their facilities.Most of the beach is covered by a concrete promenade. Walls toprevent longshore drift (Groynes) have been erected towards thesea. The remaining small sandy sections have been eroded.There are tourist facilities with accommodation all the way to thefactory.

None.

No evidence observed. Nesting potential is low, the beach mor-phology would allow some nesting.

None.

26

36'00'E

Fig. Map of the northern part of Lebanon with beach sections N15 - N19.

27

El-Minie N-16

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

34029'N,35"55'E

0.5 km.



None.

Small sandy beach, with gravel in some sections.

There are tourist facilities on the beach, and a litter problem.

None.

No evidence observed. Nesting may occur accidentally; thebeach morphology would allow some turtle nesting.

None.

Palm lsland

Coordinates:

Length:

width:


Description:

N-17

34030'N, 35"46'E.

The overall area of the reserve is 5 km2. The Palm lsland has anarea of 200.000 m2. The length of the nesting beach is 200 me-tres.

The width of the only potential turtle nesting beach is approx. 30 me-tres.

Habitat types B 1.21, B 2.1, B 2.4, B 2.5.

None.

The Palm lslands Nature Reserve comprises a group of three flat,rocky islands of eroded limestone pavement, 5.5 km offshore andnorthwest of Tripoli, with the surrounding seas: Sanani (4 ha),Ramkine (1.6 ha) and Palm lsland (20 ha). Palm lsland, the larg-est of the three islands, has no obvious relief. lts highest point isonly about 6m above sea level. There is an earthen midsectionwith a rocky shoreline extending from the northwest to the south,and a sandy beach extending from the north to the east. Thesandy beach has a peculiar biological origin. lt mostly consists ofthe skeletons of marine benthic foraminifers, with an admixture oftiny gastropod shells and parts of skeletons and spines of echi-noderms, resulting in a very light "sand". Dimensions of the beachchange throughout the year, being influenced by bad weather andthe direction of water currents (Ghassan Ramadan-Jaradi, pers.comm.). The critically endangered seal Monachus monachus wasa regular visitor until the late 1960s. In 1997 and 2000 some indi-viduals were recorded again. Palm lsland, commonly known asRabbit lsland, featured a large population of rabbits, introducedthere in the late 50's. The rabbits had to be removed, since theyate the many rare plants that survive in this salty environment andthe newly planted palm trees. The plant species Euphorbiapithyusa and Cressa crefica are nationally endangered. Benthosfauna encompasses two nationally threatened gastropod species:

28

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Vermetus triquetrus and Dendropoma petraeum. There are twogfobally endangered fish species, namely Epinephe/us margina-fus and Mycteroperca rubra.

There is some litter problem. Today, the islands have no inhabi-tants, but on Palm lsland, fragments of pottery, a freshwater well,old Salinas and the remains of a church built at the times of theCrusaders are evidence of past periods of human occupation.Ramkine lsland contains cannon emplacements and undergroundgalleries built early this century and an old lighthouse, fitted re-cently with solar power. Parts of the Reserve are open for swim-ming and snorkelling during the summer months, but the remain-der of the year, it remains a quiet haven for wildlife.

None.

The Reserve Area Management Team confirmed that marine tur-tles have often been observed in the sea, and that loggerheadnesting has occurred. The Team recorded 3 nests in 1997,8In1998, 36 in 1999 and 36 in 2000. Marine turtles are continuing tonest on Palm lsland, although more recent comprehensive figuresare not available. lt must be noted that the only nesting beach onthe islands is only 200 m long.

The three islands Sanani (4 ha), Ramkine (1.6 ha) and Palm ls-land (20 ha) together with 500 m of their surrounding sea, havebeen legally protected as 'Palm lslands Nature Reserve", whichwas established in 1992. The Reserve has been designated aMediterranean Specially Protected Area under the BarcelonaConvention, an lmportant Bird Area IBA by BirdLife International,as well as Wetland of Special lnternational lmportance.

29

r,, ]Eo fiql

El-Aabd6 N-18

Coordinates:

Length:


Description:

Fig. Map of Palm lsland.

34"31'N, 35o57'E (north), 34"30'N, 35"56'E (south).

approx. 3.0 km.



106_0608, 106_0609.

The beaches start from the El Aabd6 new fishing port, and con-tinue north to the Lebbane River (Nahr Lebbane) near CheikhZennad. The beaches to the south, especially those close to thePalestinian Refugee Camp "Camp de Nahr Bared" are very nar-row and have hardly sandy parts. From El Aabde northwards, thebeaches are artificially narrowed by sea walls, the fishing port andthe coastal road. The road is being repaired and upgraded in2004, and it now runs over a long stretch directly along the shoreline, with only some concrete constructions between the road andthe sea. Local people reported that the beaches were wider in thepast.

30

Beach use:

Sand dunes:

Marine turtles:

Protection:

Cheikh Zennad N-l9Coordinates:

Length:

width:


Description:

Solid waste that has been dumped inland is being carried to thesea by the rivers and streams in the area. Although dumping hasbeen stopped by the government, clean-up and rehabilitation ac-tion is required, and individual dumps need to be controlled. Fromthe Aarqa River to Cheikh Zennad, local fishermen with theirboats on the beach are commonly observed. South of CheikhZennad access is limited by a military checkpoint. The beachesare traditionally used by the local people for recreation. The entirecoastline is heavily polluted. The litter problem is more intensehere because the solid waste from Tripoli is being dumped alongthe coast. Especially near the Aarqa River there are beachesconsisting of thick layers of plastic waste. From El Aabde to theAarqa River, beaches are eroded and have almost disappeared.

None.

Some turtle nesting was reported by local people and fishermen.They also reported observing dead turtles on the beach (bothChelonia mydas and Caretta caretta). Fishermen report seeingboth species at sea, and as incidental by-catch by nets. Thebeaches are mostly very narrow, gravely and thus not suitable fornesting. Occasional nesting may occur.

None.

34037'N, 35"59'E.

Approx. 3.0 km (total length), with 1.0 km of it sandy beach.


Habitat types B 1.21, B 1 .32,8 2.13, B 3.1, B 3.2.

106_0610, 106_061 1, 106_0612, 106_0613, 106_0622,106_0623, 106_0624, 106_0625, 106_0626, 106_0627,1 06_0628 (sandy part: 1 06_0614, 1 06_061 5, 1 06-061 6,106_0617, 106_061 8, 106_0619, 106_0620, 1 06_0621 ).

This beach lies between the Cheikh Zennad village and the El-Kebir River (Nahr El-Kabir), which defines the Syrian border withLebanon. Most of the coastline consists of flat beach rocks. Shin-gle covered with soil and vegetation immediately follow theserocks on the land side. The only sandy part of the beach wasfound to the immediate north of the village Cheikh Zennad, start-ing at the mouth of Nahr Ostouene [Estouene]. This part of thebeach is some 1.0 km long, and up to 60 m wide. The rear partsof the sand dune are more or less densely vegetated withgrasses Poaceae (Gramineae). Also sea lavender Limonium aff .

narbonense (t. angustifolium) and the thistle Echinophorasprnosa has been found there. Although being highly suitable forturtle nesting, it is much affected by sand extraction by the villag-ers, and a thick cover with garbage.

The beach is mainly used by fishermen from nearby settlements,particularly at the river mouth, and public access is limited due tosecurity restrictions at the border. Sand extraction is a serious

Beach use:

31

Sand dunes:

Marlne turtles:

Protection:

problem at the only sandy part of the beach: the natural sanddunes have already been flattened and there are many vehicletracks and pits on the beach, demonstrating the regular sand ex-traction.

There is a small stretch of the coast to the immediate north ofCheikh Zennad, which had formerly apparently been a dune area.However, the area has completely been flattened, and sand ex-traction is still going on. Nevertheless, some plant species typicalfor sand dunes are found there.

Fishermen reported nesting of marine turtles on the beach andincidental catch. The relatively small sand beach next to CheikhZennad would be suitable for nesting

None.

32

References

Newbury, N., M. Khalil & L. Venizelos (2002): Population status and conservation ofmarine turtles at El-Mansouri, Lebanon. - Zoology in the Middle East 27: 4740.

Demirayak, F., R. Sadek, S. Hraoui-Bloquet & M. Khalil (2002): Marine Turtle NestingActivity Assessment on the Lebanese Coast. Phase l. Survey to identify nestingsites and fishery interaction. - UNEP RAC/SPA & MEDASSET, &t pp.

Demirayak, F., L. Venizelos, R. Sadek, S. Hraoui & M. Khalil (2002): Marine TurtleConservation in the Mediterranean - Lebanon: A first survey for Chelonia mydasand Caretta caretta in Lebanon. - Proceedings of the Twenty Second AnnualSymposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. Miami.

Kasparek, M. (1995): The nesting of marine turtles on the coast of Syria. - Zoology inthe Middle East 11: 5142, Heidelberg.

Kasparek, M., B. J. Godley & A. C. Broderick (2001): Nesting of the Green Turtle,Chelonia mydas, in the Mediterranean Sea: a review of status and conservationneeds. - Zoology in the Middle East 24:4*74, Heidelberg.

St. John, F., M. Khalil & L. Venizelos (2004): Marine Turtle Nesting in South Lebanon2003. - MEDASSET, unpubl. report (18 pp.).

UNEP/MAP, RAC/SPA (1999): Revised Action Plan for the Conservation of Mediter-ranean Marine Turtles as adopted by the contrasting parties Annex lV, AppendixVlll In: Report of the 11th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties for the pro-tection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and its protocols UNEP (OCAyMED lG 1219, Tunis.

33

Annexe:

EUNIS Habitat Classification

(based on EUNIS version 2.3 of 28.2.2002')

List of habitat types for "Goastal habitats (B)"

1 Goastal dune and sand habitats

1 - Angiosperm communities of sand beach driftlines

3 Tethyan sand beach driftline communities

2 - Sand beaches above the driftline

1 Unvegetated sand beaches above the driftline

2 Biocenosis of supraliftoral sands

4 Sandy beach ridges with no or low vegetation

5 Sandy beach ridges dominated by shrubs or trees

3 - Shifting coastal dunes

1 Embryonic shifting dunes

2 White dunes

4 - Coastal stable dune grassland (grey dunes)

4 East Mediterranean fixed grey dunes

7 Dune fine-grass annual communities

I Dune Mediterranean xeric grassland

6 - Coastal dune scrub

1 Coastal dune thickets

3 Dune puniperusl thickets

4 Dune sclerophyllous scrubs and thickets

7 - Coastal dune woods

1 Coastal brown dunes covered with natural or almost natural coniferousforest, e.g. Pinus silvestris

2 Coastal brown dunes covered with deciduous forest (Fagus; Betula,Quercus)

I - Moist and wet dune slacks

1 Dune-slack pioner swards

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2 Dune-slack fens

3 Dune-slack grassland and heaths

4 Dune-slack reedbeds, sedgebeds and canebeds

5 Coastal dunes: wet dune slacks: dominated by shrubs or trees

2 Coastal shingle habitats

1 - Shingle beach driftline habitats

3 Gravel beach communities of the Mediterranean region

2 - Unvegetated mobile shingle beaches above the driftline

3 - Upper shingle beaches with open vegetation

4 - Fixed shingle beaches, with herbaceous vegetation

5 - Shingle and gravel beaches with scrub vegetation

6 - Shingle and gravelwoodland

3 Rock cliffs, ledges and shores, including supralittoral

(sub-categories not shown here)

1 - Supralittoral rock (lichen or splash zone)

2 - Unvegetated rock cliffs, ledges, shores and islets

3 - Rock cliffs, ledges and shores, with halophytic angiosperms

4 - Soft sea-cliffs, often vegetated

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This study is a joint effort by MSC Environment, MedWetCoast and MEDASSET

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MEDASSETMEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATION TO SAVE THE SEATURTLES

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Documents

The Mediterranean coast of Lebanon: Habitat for endangered fauna and flora