Coral Research and Conservation

Coral reefs are crucial in supporting biodiversity, protecting shorelines, and coastal communities. These ecosystems are threatened globally by climate change, including increasing ocean temperatures and ocean acidification, which are further compounded by human induced threats. The coral reefs of the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea are known for their unique biodiversity and the extreme environmental conditions they endure. The regional trend shows an estimated loss of 40% of live coral between 1996 and 2019 due to repeated bleaching events. 2024 marked the fourth global mass bleaching event since 1998 – the second in the past decade.

In order to guide appropriate coral reef conservation in Oman and to support their resilience in the face of increasing pressures, the need to establish a coral reef monitoring program and develop the capacity of Omanis in coral reef research was highlighted. A voluntary program was established in 2024 as the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) worked on a grant application to secure funding for further program development. The 2024 initiative was completed on a voluntary basis garnering the support of partnerships with individuals and dive centres which were willing to provide pro bono services in support of coral reef conservation initiatives.

Coral Reef Monitoring
(Conducting active underwater surveys to track reef health across critical marine habitats in Oman)

Funding over a 2-year project cycle was secured from The National Geographic Society in January 2025. The overall goals of this project are to understand the status and condition of coral reefs at sites around Muscat, both inside and outside of the Ad Dimaniyyat Islands Nature Reserve, and to support capacity building within Oman.

The project objectives include:

Establish a coral reef monitoring program: The project aims to establish coral reef monitoring sites around Muscat targeting sites both inside and outside of the Ad Dimaniyyat Island Nature Reserve. These monitoring sites will be strategically located to provide comprehensive data on coral reef status, covering a variety of environmental conditions and levels of protection. Monitoring will include coral cover, coral genus diversity, and the presence of stressors like bleaching and disease in order to gain an understanding on the status and resilience of Oman’s coral reefs.

Capacity building: developing a training program to enable detailed coral reef monitoring and data collection. The training will cover essential skills such as underwater survey techniques, data management and analysis. Special emphasis will be placed on empowering female field scientist to play a leading role in ongoing coral reef research and conservation efforts.

Community outreach and education: the project will develop awareness materials and deliver educational programs aimed at elevating the importance of marine habitats, targeting primarily Omani local and international schools.

Conservation Advocacy: The outputs of the program and reports will include data-driven recommendations for conservation management and the long-term sustainability of coral reefs. Additionally, the project will engage decision-makers to garner further support for continuing the monitoring program, advocating for the integration of scientific findings into conservation decisions.

The project was formally launched in April 2025 with a workshop organized in partnership with NYUAD, hosted at Oman Sail – Sea Oman, and was attended by environmentalists, dive center experts and academic researchers to strengthen reef monitoring capacity. Participants were familiarized with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) global report, foundations of reef monitoring, survey protocols and the benefits of a standardized regional protocol, data archiving and the use of AI driven tools such as ReefCloud and Mermaid to support analysis and reporting.

A total of 8 monitoring sites were established, including 4 sites within the Ad Dimaniyyat Islands Nature Reserve (DINR). Surveys are conducted twice a year, before summer and after summer in order to capture bleaching and recovery.

To support education and awareness raising the Exploring Oman’s Coral Reefs Children’s Activity Booklet has been published and will be distributed to schools in coastal communities adjacent to the monitoring sites in order to raise awareness amongst youth in Oman on Oman’s unique coral reefs.