Oil pollution and Red Sea tourism lead the list

To help save the reefs of Oman, get active with these groups:

Arabian Seas Expedition

Atlantis Enterprises

Hunting Aquatic Resources (HAR)

Oman's reefs on the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman are beautiful and in good condition, thanks largely to low human population densities and few coastal urban centers. But the threat of oil spills is constant, coastal development is increasing, and blast fishing has been reported in the Gulf of Oman.

Part of the credit for the local reefs' good condition may go to Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said, who is reputedly something of a fanatic about environmental conservation—certainly by Persian Gulf standards. He involves himself personally in all levels of tourist and industrial development in the Gulf of Oman, and has spurred the creation of environmental regulations that usually are strictly enforced—in Oman, "polluter pays" is the rule.