MUSCAT/AMSTERDAM: A study conducted by researchers from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) found that the intertidal mudflats at the Barr Al Hikman Nature Reserve are home to almost 30 crab species.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Hydrobiology and the Science Daily website, concluded that Barr Al Hikman, a nature reserve in the
Wilayat of Mahout in Al Wusta Governorate, is crucial nursery grounds for numerous crab species which are vital element of the ecology, as well as the regional economy.
The study recommended that these significant functions of crab should be taken into account considering the increasing human pressure at the nature reserve.
Barr Al Hikman Nature Reserve is home to the blue swimming crabs (Portunus segnis) which are caught by the local fishermen, the study said, adding that this crab uses the mudflats of Barr Al Hikman as nursery grounds.
The counts of the study show that there are millions of these crabs in Barr Al Hikman. They are food to hundreds of thousands of birds, both migrating species, as well as birds breeding in the area, such as crab plovers.
The crabs live in holes in the ground. They forage on the seagrass beds that are still abundant in Barr Al Hikman. Apart from the high primary production of algae in Barr Al Hikman, this reserve is also well suited for crabs because of the vastness of the area, the study said. — ONA
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
