The Environment Authority, represented by the Environment Centre in the Wilayat of Masirah in South A’Sharqiyah Governorate, has commenced field survey work under two indicators of the Authority’s operational targets for 2026.

The indicators relate to the number of field surveys of coastal marine ecosystems and the rate of safety of water connectivity between lagoons, known locally as khawrs, and the sea. The work aims to evaluate the environmental condition of coasts and coastal wetlands and to strengthen the national biodiversity database.

The surveys are also intended to provide accurate field data on beach characteristics, natural components and the environmental pressures they may be exposed to — contributing to an assessment of their condition and helping identify sites of environmental importance and priority for protection and management.

Surveying the Beaches

In its first component, the field survey work involves longitudinal beach surveys, dividing the coastline into segments four kilometres in length and documenting the nature of each beach and the proportions of its components.

This runs alongside monitoring coastal erosion indicators and recording biological and environmental observations at each site — including mangroves and coastal plants, the tracks and nesting signs of sea turtles, invertebrates and birds, in addition to an inventory of the types of waste present on the beaches.

Assessing the Lagoons

The second component covers coastal wetlands, with a focus on evaluating the safety of water connectivity between the lagoons and the sea by measuring several physical water indicators during high tide.

The work includes hydrological measurements of the lagoons — the width and depth of their openings, the extent of tidal movement impact, and the percentage of tidal water reaching inside the lagoon — in addition to documenting the biodiversity components at the sites covered.

Science That Guides Protection

Ghasi Hamad Al Farsi, Supervisor of the Environmental Control Unit at the Environment Authority Centre in the Wilayat of Masirah, said these surveys represent one of the important scientific foundations for assessing the environmental condition of coastal ecosystems, providing field information that helps identify areas eligible for protection and guide environmental management.

Masirah is among Oman’s most significant coastal environments, with beaches that support internationally important sea turtle nesting and lagoon systems that sustain migratory birdlife.

Coastal resilience, marine ecosystems and nature-based solutions are on the agenda at Oman Climate Week 2026, taking place 14–16 September at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Muscat.

Source: Times of Oman
Original Article: https://timesofoman.com/a/175417