Marine mammal survey kicks off in Musandam Governorate

Khasab: The fourth phase of the marine mammal survey project kicked off in the Wilayat of Khasab Musandam Governorate on Tuesday.

Being implemented by the Environment Authority in cooperation with relevant government departments, the project will continue until 31 October 2024.

The project seeks to develop a comprehensive database of marine mammals at the National Nature Park in Musandam, including the compilaton of a distribution chart of species within the reserve.

Engineer Aida bint Khalaf Al Jabriya, head of the project team from the Environment Authority, said: “This project is part of the survey and monitoring programmes included in the Musandam National Park Nature Reserve, which includes a number of basic tasks distributed among the project team, including monitoring to search for marine mammals.”

She added: “We are looking for spots on the surface, dark objects and birds hovering in a specific place as a result of the presence of fish, which in turn attract marine mammals, in addition to steering the boat towards the correct path, photographing and documenting the observations, and recording data using a technology specially prepared for this project.”

She explained that when sightings are monitored, basic data is recorded electronically, including the sighting location, date, time, type, group size, and behaviour. Sightings are photographed using high-quality cameras, drone cameras, and GoPros. The crossing distance, direction, depth, and wind speed are also determined, and the sounds of marine mammals are recorded using modern, highly efficient equipment and technologies. In addition, a number of devices are developed to measure physical factors and detect depths.

For his part, Hamad bin Salem Al-Hussaini, Environmental Systems Technician at the General Directorate of Nature Conservation, said: “The Sultanate of Oman has many types of marine mammals due to its geographical location overlooking three seas, namely the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea, as marine mammals contribute to maintaining the health of the marine environment’s ecosystems.

He explained that the Environment Authority has been keen to harness all the necessary capabilities and efforts to study and analyse data that contribute to knowing the presence and reproduction of marine mammals to protect them from potential risks.

He pointed out that the field survey of marine mammals was not limited to team members only, but also witnessed wide participation from the governorate’s fishermen by documenting marine mammals with photos, videos and viewing sites; as the results of the previous stages of the project showed the monitoring of large and diverse numbers of marine mammals in different locations.