Sunday 03 / May / 2026
Salalah: The Fisheries Research Centre in the Governorate of Dhofar is conducting a survey of natural stocks of sea urchins known locally as “Takriz” that inhabits coasts of the governorate.
The survey was prompted by a significant rise in the number of the sea urchins during 2025 in the area extending between the Wilayat of Mirbat and the Niyabat of Hasik in the Wilayat of Sadah.
Eng. Salim bin Ahmed Al Ghassani, Director of the Fisheries Research Centre in Dhofar Governorate, said that the survey is in pursuance of the Ministry’s efforts to monitor changes in the life cycle of marine organisms and assess their impact on the marine environment.
Al Ghassani pointed out that initial reports showed a rise in numbers of this species in 2025, compared to the years before.
The programme aims to identify the locations and impact of this species on seagrasses and algae, said Al Ghassani. He explained that the monitoring process and follow-up work use the method of latitudinal surveying which aims to assess the density of the urchins and their areas of concentration.
The programme also spans the coastal area along the Wilayat of Dhalkout in the west to the Niyabat of Sharbtat in the east of the governorate, including Al Hallaniyat Islands, with the aim of drawing a map of the urchins and their geographical distribution, said Al Ghassani.
The Fisheries Research Centre in Dhofar Governorate is affiliated with the Directorate General of Fisheries Research in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
