Oman

With more than 3000 km of coastline, the Sultanate of Oman has a complex coastal ecology. The Arabian Sea undergoes two monsoon seasons: the Southwest monsoon during the 4 months of the summer and a Northeast monsoon from December to March. Both contribute to major nutrient injection to surface waters and drive a very high primary production which in turn feeds complex and rich marine communities. The Sultanate of Oman is currently developing rapidly, supported by the exploitation of fossil hydrocarbons. The government is now aiming at an economic diversification based in particular on tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, and port services which necessitates major shore infrastructure development threatening the coastal environment. Although adequate regulation is often in place, enforcement remains difficult given the length of the coastline and the rapid pace of all aspects of this economic development. Global changes are likely to affect Oman but unusual features will make it less affected than other parts of the Indian Ocean. The summer strong thermocline will protect the shallow environments from excessive temperature, but the rise of this thermocline risks allowing hypoxic water to invade shallow communities, leading to increased mortalities.