page_title: Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
section_title: Biodiversity
hierarchical_section_title: Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast / Environment / Biodiversity
caption_attribution_description: Albania.
context_page_description: The Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast stretches in the Southeastern Adriatic Sea beginning at the Gulf of Drin in the north, across the port cities of Shëngjin, Durrës and Vlorë, to the Bay of Vlorë in the south, where the Albanian Riviera as well as the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast begins.
  Albania is geographically located in South and Southeast Europe within the Balkan Peninsula. It borders on Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The total length of the coastline is approximately 274 kilometres, 178 kilometres of which are taken up by white sandy beaches and the remaining by different landforms.
  The Adriatic Sea is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea merely extending all the way from the Strait of Otranto in the south up to the Po Valley in the north. The sea is apportioned into two major basins, wherein Albania is entirely located within the deepest and southernmost one.
context_section_description: In terms of phytogeography, the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast belongs to the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. It falls entirely within the Illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub. The special environmental circumstances and the millennial human activity on the territory of the coast determine the rich variety of species, populations and ecosystems, many of which are with conservation significance. 
  The Albanian Adriatic portion features contrasting vegetation types that are impacted by different factors. The woodlands are mostly dominated by evergreen forests with associated broadleaved sclerophyllous evergreen trees and shrubs primarily found in the southern section of the coastline. The forests ranges from mixed broadleaf forests, at lower elevations, to conifer forests, at higher elevations. The pine forms an important natural feature within the coastline, distributed across Velipoja, Shëngjin, Patok and Rodon, which in turn provide habitat for a vast array of wildlife.
  Stretching in the southeastern Adriatic Sea, the coast with a wealth of important habitats makes for a fascinating birdwatching location during peak migration with several wetlands, estuaries and hills provides diversity for both resident and migrant birds. Maybe the most iconic bird of the coast is the vulnerable and extremely rare dalmatian pelican. It breeds on inland lakes and coastal lagoons of Albania such as in Karavasta and Patoku Lagoon. The greater flamingo is another prominent and important species that live in the region. It is the largest species of flamingos and widespread in Karavasta and Narta Lagoon. 
  The coast is famous for wildlife watching and nesting sea turtles are one of the region's highlights. Its beaches provide nesting sites for several species of endangered sea turtles, namely the hawksbill, leatherback, green sea and loggerhead sea turtle. As well as turtles, the sea life consist of several species of sharks, dolphins and whales. The cuvier's beaked whale and sperm whale are common along the coast. The dolphin species found along the entire coastline are represented by the striped dolphin, risso's dolphin and common bottlenose dolphin.
  The vast and diverse coast is home to an incredibly rich diversity of mammals. Most famous of the carnivores is the rare golden jackal that occurs mostly on the coast of the ravines of the rivers. Another notorious might be the red fox, which occurs throughout the forested and coastal areas in the northern section of the coast. Other mammals include the brown bear, wild boar, chamois and grey wolf. The sea, lagoons and river deltas are extremely rich in salt and fresh water fish. Some aquatic and abundant animals include the european sea sturgeon, starry sturgeon, twait shad and adriatic sturgeon, which is perhaps the most famous species to become extinct in the Adriatic Sea.
  The protected areas of Albania are a biodiversity treasure, containing a wide range of geographical and climatic diversity. Different categories of protected areas have been established alongside the coast. Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, the only national park in the Albanian Adriatic coast, is very picturesque and harbors several endangered species, that makes it a very popular place indeed.
  Encompassing the Drin River estuary, the Kunë-Vain-Tale Nature Park is an undisturbed natural area of wet grasslands, swamps and lagoons at the direct proximity to the Adriatic Sea. The Vjosa, considered to be Europe's last wild river, discharges, north of Narta, into the Adriatic Sea, where it forms the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape. Both the Karavasta Lagoon and Lake Shkodër are classified as wetlands of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention.
  Important Bird Areas are important sites for bird conservation and their habitats, as they provide suitable conditions to birds. Currently, 16 important bird areas have been identified throughout the territory of Albania, amongst them the Drin Delta nea
caption: The catchment area of Drin is classified as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Europe.[25][26]
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