Crabs are key to ecology and economy in Oman
Importance of crabs should be considered when looking at increasing human pressure on Barr Al Hikman nature reserve

Date:
October 8, 2020
Source:
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Summary:
The intertidal mudflats of Barr Al Hikman, a nature reserve at
the south- east coast of the Sultanate Oman, are crucial nursery
grounds for numerous crab species. In return, crabs are a vital
element of the ecology, as well as the regional economy, a new
publication in Hydrobiologia shows.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The intertidal mudflats of Barr Al Hikman, a nature reserve at the
south-east coast of the Sultanate Oman, are crucial nursery grounds
for numerous crab species. In return, these crabs are a vital element
of the ecology, as well as the regional economy, a new publication in
the scientific journal Hydrobiologia shows. 'These important functions
of the crabs should be considered when looking at the increasing human
pressure on this nature reserve', first author and NIOZ-researcher
Roeland Bom says.


==========================================================================
Blue swimming crab The mudflats of Barr Al Hikman are home to almost
thirty crab species. For his research, Bom, together with colleagues in
The Netherlands and at the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, looked at
the ecology of the two most abundant species. Bom: 'Barr Al Hikman is
also home to the blue swimming crab Portunus segnis. That is the species
caught by local fishermen. This crab uses the mudflats of Barr Al Hikman
as nursery grounds.' The counts of Bom and his colleagues show, that
there are millions and 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 (algae) in Barr al Hikman, this reserve is also well suited for crabs
because of the vastness of the area', Bom assumes. 'The slopes of the
mudflats are very gentle, so at low tide, the crabs have an immense area
at their disposition.' Eco value The value of the crabs is not just ecological, Bom stresses. "Local fishermen that catch the blue swimming
crabs, distribute them not only through Oman, but also through the rest
of the Arabian Peninsula and even to Japan. At approximately EUR 2,-
per kilo, these crabs represent an important economic pillar, both under
the region around Barr Al Hikman, as well as for the whole of Oman.'
Reserve The protection of the reserve of Barr Al Hikman is limited
to national legislation. Efforts to acknowledge this reserve under the international Ramsar-convention were never effectuated. There is, however, increasing human pressure on the mudflats of Barr Al Hikman, the authors describe, that would justify further protection. For example, there
are well-developed plans to start shrimp farming around this intertidal
area. 'When looking at the cost and benefits of these activities, it is important to look at the role of this reserve in the local ecology, as
well as in the broader ecology of the many migratory birds that use the
area', Bom says. 'Moreover, our research shows that the unique ecosystem
of Barr Al Hikman plays a key role in the economy as well.'

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Royal_Netherlands_Institute_for_Sea_Research. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Roeland A. Bom, Jan A. van Gils, Karen Molenaar, Andy Y. Kwarteng,
Reginald Victor, Eelke O. Folmer. The intertidal mudflats of
Barr Al Hikman, Sultanate of Oman, as feeding, reproduction and
nursery grounds for brachyuran crabs. Hydrobiologia, 2020; DOI:
10.1007/s10750-020-04418- 4 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201008121308.htm

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