In Pictures: Volunteer divers guard Oman's 'unique' coral reefs

Divers and Omani authorities unite to safeguard reefs through clean-up efforts

Published: December 04, 2023 07:38 Compiled by Christian Borbon with inputs from AFP

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Daymaniyat Islands, Oman: On a sailing boat anchored off Oman's pristine Daymaniyat Islands, volunteer divers pull on wetsuits, check their scuba tanks and then take turns plunging into the clear turquoise water. Image Credit: AFP

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They are diving for a reason: to remove the massive fishing nets damaging an unusually resilient coral reef system that is seen as more likely than most to survive rising sea temperatures. Image Credit: AFP

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The clean-up is one example of how divers and Omani authorities are joining forces to protect the reefs - which are critical for marine wildlife - from man-made damage. Image Credit: AFP

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A volunteer diver shows fishing nets removed from coral reefs at Oman's Dimaniyat islands. Image Credit: AFP

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Most shallow-water corals, battered and bleached white by repeated marine heatwaves, are "unlikely to last the century", the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last year. Image Credit: AFP

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Volunteers take part in a campaign to remove fishing nets from coral reefs at Oman's Dimaniyat islands. Image Credit: AFP

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Oman's relatively cooler waters provide a rare refuge for its reefs, which are among the least studied in the world. Image Credit: AFP

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Global warming, as well as dynamite fishing and pollution, wiped out a startling 14 percent of the world's reefs between 2009 and 2018, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. | Volunteer divers take part in a campaign to remove fishing nets from coral reefs at Oman's Dimaniyat islands. Image Credit: AFP

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Volunteer divers take part in a campaign to remove fishing nets from coral reefs at Oman's Dimaniyat islands. Image Credit: AFP

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Volunteer divers take part in a campaign to remove fishing nets from coral reefs. Image Credit: AFP

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