(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) A four-year study is being carried out covering the sultanate's entire coastline to identify the reasons why Oman is frequently hit by harmful algal blooms (HABs).
A team from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' (MoAF) Marine Sciences and Fisheries Centre is trying to find out the key species that cause red tides. 'The Sultanate of Oman with its 3165km coastline has extremely rich fishing grounds. However the fish landings in the region are subjected to periodic losses due to harmful algal blooms. So we are studying the mechanism of HABs why they happen and which toxic species cause them. Once we understand the reasons of frequent HABs occurrence we can have a long-term strategy to tackle the problem on our coastline' Nadir Mohammed Ali al Abri principal investigator and head of ecology section at centre said.
Abri said that this is the first time that a study is being conducted to identify the HABs species in the Arabian Sea the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.
He added 'We have to find out the source population of the key species such as Noctiluca Cochlodinium Pyrodinium bahamese and Karenia gymnodinium which have been found frequently during red tides along the Omani coast. Then we will determine the abundance and biomass of the HABs species. We will also carry out complementary measurements of temperature salinity dissolved oxygen nitrates and phosphates on a monthly basis.
'We will compare the effects of HABs on fish larvae and evaluate the impact of climatic shifts on HAB occurrence in the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Oman. We are picking samples from Khasab to Salalah' he added.
He said that the study will conclude in 2017. 'Sultan Qaboos University is also participating in this project which is being funded by The Research Council.'
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