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 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.
