Hallaniyat Islands

Hallaniyat Islands Latest News

A recent crude oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi is threatening the pristine nature reserve near Oman’s Hallaniyat Islands.

About Hallaniyat Islands

• The Hallaniyat Islands, also known as the Kuria Muria Islands, is an archipelago of five islands located off the southeastern coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.
• From west to east, the islands are Al-Hasikiyah, Al-Sawda, Al-Hallaniyah, Qarzawit, and Al-Qibliyah. 
• Al-Hallaniyah, the largest of the islands, is the only one inhabited.   
• The habitat is characterised by rocky patches, coral reefs, and sandy substrates. 
• The area overlaps with the Halaaniyaat Islands Key Biodiversity Area and the Oman Arabian Sea Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area.  
• The shallow water of the islands is characterized by its virgin nature and high diversity of corals, sponges, seaweeds, algae, fish, and other species.  
• The Arabian Sea here is defined by the Somali Current and seasonal upwelling that creates one of the most productive marine zones in the Indian Ocean. 
• Cold, nutrient-rich water rises from the deep during and after the monsoon season, fuelling plankton blooms that attract everything from whale sharks to humpback whales. 
• The islands have significant strategic importance, as they lie along sea routes connecting the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

News: DEVD

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