More has been written about turtles , dolphins, and whales, waders and seabirds, than corals. However, the corals of Oman have surpassed early expectations and confounded predictions. Oman's seas have yielded a far greater variety of corals and both more and older reefs than anticipated. There have been reef fishes and corals new to science including the living fossil Parasimplastrea simplicitexta. This coral was known and described from fossils and assigned to a family all of which were believed to be extinct until its discovery alive in Oman.
Corals are generally little appreciated creatures.
We tend to perceive them more as architects or scenery rather than as oases of life. As founders of a complex ecosystem, corals sustain important fisheries as well as our pleasure as snorkellers and divers. Use this book to open doors to new interest in the Sultanate's seas, and please take care to treat corals with consideration. They are fragile creatures, despite their robust appearance, and a careless kick, a casual anchor, or the weight of a standing person. It is easy to be inspired by the wild and scenic coastline of Oman and its wealth of life.