Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman Country Report for UNESCO
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Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources Sultanate of Oman Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman Country Report for UNESCO June 2004 1 Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman Country Report Prepared by Vanda M. Mendonca, Mohamed K. Al Muzaini, Thuraya S. Al Sariri and Musallam M. Al Jabri This report should be cited as follows: Mendonca, V. M., Al Muzaini, M. K., Al Sariri, T. S. and Al Jabri, M. M. 2004. Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman – Country Report. Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources. Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. 107 pp. 2 Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman Country Report Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources Suktanate of Oman 2004 Mendonca, V. M., Al Muzaini, M. K., Al Sariri, T. S. and Al Jabri, M. M. 2004. Oceanography of the Sultanate of Oman – Country Report. Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources. Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. 107 pp. Report Presented by Thuraya Al Sariri at a UNESCO Meeting in 2004 For further information, please contact: Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources P. O. Box 323, Muscat 113 Sultanate of Oman 3 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Description of geographical characteristics 1 1.2. Description of geological and geomorphological characteristics 2 1.3. Description of meteorological characteristics 8 1.4. Description of physical and chemical oceanographic characteristics 13 1.5. Description of biological oceanographic characteristics - Major habitats 18 1.5.1. Wadis 18 1.5.2. Khawrs, Tidal Inlets and Sabkhas 18 1.5.3. Rocky, sandy and muddy tidal flats 19 1.5.4. Coral reefs 20 1.5.5. Mangroves 20 1.5.6. Seagrass beds and seaweed beds 21 1.5.7. Marshes and Halophytes 21 1.6. Human population of coastal zones, major economic activities in the coastal area and their contribution to the national economy 21 2. COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES 25 2.1. Living coastal and marine resources 25 2.1.1. Marine biodiversity 25 2 1.1.1. Intertidal living organisms 25 Flora 25 Fauna 25 2 .1.1.2. Subtidal living organisms 26 Phytoplankton 26 Zooplankton 27 2.1.1.3 Pelagic and benthic organisms 27 Fish 27 Sea Snakes 28 Corals 28 2.1.1.4. Seabirds 33 2.1.1.5. Marine turtles 34 2.1.1.6. Marine Mammals 36 4 2.1.2. Fisheries 41 2.1.3. Aquaculture 45 2.2. Non-living resources 46 2.2.1. Minerals and Fossil Fuels 46 2.2.2. Water resources, desalination and waste treatment plants 47 2.3. Maritime transport 48 2.4. Touristic resources 49 3. LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 50 3.1. Introduction 50 3.2. Environmental Management 51 3. 2.1 National environmental legislation 51 3.2.2. National environmental institutions 52 3.2.3.The regional and international organizations 53 The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME), Kuwait 53 The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Nairobi – Kenya 53 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Mozambique 53 The International Maritime Organization (IMO), London, UK 54 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), A Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 54 The Arab Ministerial Council for the Environmental Affairs, Cairo, Egypt 54 3.2.4. National law complying with International Convetions 54 3.2.5. National law to comply with other international agreements 55 4. MARINE PROTECTED AREAS 60 4.1. Introduction 60 Coastal Zone Management Plans in the Sultanate of Oman 60 Protected Areas 61 4.2. The Qurum Natural Park 63 4.3. The Ras Al Hadd Turtle Reserve 63 4.4. The Dimaniyat Islands 64 4.5. The Khawrs Reserves in Dhofar 64 5. THREATS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 65 5.1. Land-based activities 65 5.2. Sea-based activities 68 5.3. Major threats to marine environment, major accidents and other episodic events 70 5.3.1. Oil spills and leaks, tanker accidents, war and war remnants 5 70 5.3.2. Unusual population growth phenomena 70 Eutrophication 70 Red tides and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) 71 Mortalities of marine organisms 72 Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) 72 Upwelled hypoxic waters 72 Other natural impacts 74 Human impacts 75 5.3.3. Types, concentrations and distribution of contaminants in water, biota and sediments (and the Marine Pollution Monitoring Programme) 77 Oil pollution on beaches 78 Heavy metals in intertidal sediments and biota 79 Seawater quality 81 Natural seepage 82 5.3.4. Introduction of alien species and ballast water from ships 83 Introducted Prosopis juliflora 83 Introduction of alien species in aquaculture 83 Ballast water and other wastes from ships 83 6. RECENT, CURRENT AND PLANNED GOVERNMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES 84 6.1. Introduction 84 6 6.2. Monitoring and assessment of habitat condition 84 6.2.1. Marine Pollution Monitoring Programme 84 6.2.2. Air and Noise Pollution Monitoring Programmes 85 6.2.3. Water Pollution Monitoring Programme 85 6.2.4. Chemical Substances Monitoring Programmes 86 6.3. Remediation 86 6.3.1. Artificial Reefs 86 6.3.2. Beach and Reef Cleanup Project 88 6.3.3. Mangrove restoration projects 88 6.3.4. Sea Turtle Populations Monitoring Programme 86 6.4. Trends in the State of the Marine Environment 87 6.5. New challenges 87 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 94 8. REFERENCES 95 7 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Description of geographical characteristics The Sultanate of Oman occupies the north-east to south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, between latitudes 16º 40' and 26º 20' North and longitudes 51º 50' and 59° 40' East. Coastlines border the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the North and the Arabian Sea in central and southern regions, whilst the land borders the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the north-west, central and southern regions, respectively (Figure 1). Its coastline extends for about 3,165 km, from the Strait of Hormuz to the border with Yemen, including the main islands, which are Masirah Island in central Oman coast (Sharquiyah Region), and the archipelagos of the Damaniyats and of the Al Hallaniyats, respectively in the Gulf of Oman in the north (Al Batinah Region), and in Al Hallaniyah Bay in the south (Dhofar Region). Figure 1. The position of the Sultanate of Oman in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Administrative Regions of the Sultanate of Oman. The extensive coastline of the Sultanate of Oman has shaped the culture, economy and history of the country and its people. Even today, when geological resources, mostly oil and natural gas, are the main factors for the regional economies in the Gulf region, marine resources are still very important. This report provides an updated review of the state of the marine environment in the Sultanate of Oman, and includes information made available mostly from 2000 to 2003, as the situation before that has been described in previous reports on the state of 8 the marine environment (MNR-Oman, 1999; MRMEWR, 2003). Where it is felt useful, earlier literature has been quoted to give background information. 1.2. Description of geological and geomorphological characteristics The geomorphology of the Sultanate of Oman shows exceptional variety. High mountains are mainly concentrated both in the north (Musandam Mountains, Northern Mountains) and south of the country (Dhofar Highlands), separated by the Central Plateau (sand and gravel plains), whilst sand deserts and salt lakes are located in the interior, with exception of the Ramlat Al Wahibah (Figures 2-3). The Northern Mountains are separated from the Central Plateau by the Northern Foothills and Plains Area (Alluvial Plains). Both the Batinah coast in the north and the Dhofar coast in the south are Coastal Plains. In the eastern central Oman, areas surrounding the Masirah channel and including many several small islands and Masirah Island are mainly low rock outcrops and the Huqf Area, an escarpment which contains geological features of both national and international importance. The Damaniyat Archipelago is a group of nine uninhabited main islands named D1 to D9, from east to west, parallel to the Batinah Coast, less than 100 km north of Muscat, in the Gulf of Oman. The islands are characterized by limestone rocks and ancient corals, and surrounded by rocky outcrops and coral reefs (Figures 4-5). Both Masirah Island and the Al Hallaniyat Islands, in the Arabian Sea, have high mountain areas (Figures 6-9). Figure 2. Satellite image of the Sultanate of Oman (MRMEWR- Oman, 2002a). 9 Figure 3. Topography of the Sultanate of Oman (MWR-Oman, 1991). Figure 4. Map of the Damaniyat Figure 5. D4 Island, Damaniyat Islands (D1 to D9, from east to Archipelago, Gulf of Oman, during the west), Gulf of Oman. seabirds nesting season. 10 Figure 7. Jebel Suwayr, south Masirah Island. Figure 6. Map of Masirah Island, Arabian Sea Figure 8. Map of the Al Hallaniyat Islands (from east to west: Al Qibliyat, Al Hallaniyat, As Sawda, and Al Figure 9. Mountains on Al Hallaniyat Hasikiyat), Arabian Sea Island. 11 There are three coastal regions in Oman bordered by different bodies of sea: 1. The Arabian Gulf coastline on western shores of the Musandam Peninsula 2. The Gulf of Oman coastline from Musandam to Ras Al Hadd 3. The Arabian Sea coastline from Ras Al Hadd to the border with Yemen Geomorphological features vary in these three regions from the deep, fjord-like bays of Musandam, to the flat alluvial plains with deposited sand and gravel material in wadis (watercourses) along the Batinah coast and the mixed Arabian sea coastlines with alternating rocky shores, sandy beaches, sabkha (saline mud flats) and khawrs (coastal lagoons). The Musandam Peninsula is the most northern region of Oman, and is separated from the main portion of the country by part of the United Arab Emirates.