Monsoonal upwelling and episodic Acanthaster predation as probable controls of coral reef distribution and community structure in Oman, Indian Ocean

Fringing and patch coral reefs are present on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf shores of northern Oman (Musandam) and in the Gulf of Oman, notably off the Daymaniyat Islands and in the Capital (Muscat) area. Coral reefs are generally absent from the Arabian Sea coast of southern Oman, most likely a result of monsoon-induced upwelling. However, fringing reefs are present on