Marine Conservation and Promotion of Tourism: An Approach on Marine and Coastal Planning at Cat Island, Muscat, Oman

Abstract

Oman is a popular destination for tourists due to the leading fishing industry, which serves as a point of export to nearby countries. Additionally, the capital Muscat is one of the top tourist spots due to its increasing water activities. However, in the past decade, the unforgettable cyclone Gonu destroyed the beautiful sea habitat, one of the environmental stressors for the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, the anthropogenic stressors, such as berthing, scuba diving, and overfishing, yield a decrease in natural coral reefs. Cat Island, known to be one of the diving spots in Muscat, is vulnerable to coral reef declination. This research focused on analyzing the present condition of coral reefs at Cat Island in relation to environmental and human activities. Moreover, there were studies conducted regarding the physical status of the coral reefs identifying the stressor of coral reef degradation. As an outcome, it presented an imperative position towards marine and coastal planning by recommending policy enhancement and marine functional zoning in Cat Island. With this approach, these concepts can be used as a baseline in conducting research on another marine habitat in Muscat, Oman, which requires thorough study and future improvement.