Great news, I am on the road again for a new fieldwork adventure! Three days ago I left Perth to join a great team of researchers for a week of marine science action in Oman. I will try to post a few updates as we go along, much in the same way as during my last fieldwork trip.

On our way to the Musandam reefs

The trip is organised Dr. Joey DiBattista and Dr. Alyssa Marshell, as a collaboration between the Australian Museum and the Department of Marine Sciences and Fisheries at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. Joey and Alyssa received funding from the council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR) to study the fish biodiversity in Oman and to develop methods to monitor that fish diversity more efficiently. Ultimately, the goal of our work here is to support the management of marine resources in the region.

Khasab – Musandam. Photo: Chris Goatley

Most of the trip consists of diving in different places across the country. I am writing this blog in Musandam, a stunningly beautiful area in the north of the country. We are surveying fish, collecting fish and water samples for genetic research, and testing new methods to collect environmental DNA. We will be working here a few more days before flying back to Muscat.

Musandam water looking fine! Photo: Chris Goatley

The last leg of our trip is dedicated to a workshop in the Sultan Qaboos University During the workshop, local and Australian scientists will give presentations on their work, and most of us will also present some of our own work that might be of interest to researchers in the region. I’m very much looking forward to the discussions and ideas that will come out of this workshop, they’re one of the more exciting aspects of these kind of research trips!

Well, that and the diving and exploring parts of course 😉

Keep an eye on the blog in the coming days, I’ll post a few updates as we go along!