The prospective of the ongoing research is an advanced understanding of climate driven interactions between physical-chemical dynamics and plankton communities in the western Arabian Sea, with a special reference to the Sea of Oman (the easternmost part of the Arabian Gulf).

Despite the numerous expeditions carried out predominantly in the open (oceanic) waters of the western Arabian Sea, the physical-biological interactions in the Sea of Oman have been much less investigated. Existing research implied the gradual differences this region has, in comparison to the physical-chemical dynamics and physical-biological coupling in the western Arabian Sea.

In terms of physical-chemical dynamics, the Findlater Jet in the atmosphere, along with the Ras Al Had frontal zone in the water mass -both set up a boundary which makes the Sea of Oman dynamically isolated from the western Arabian Sea. This isolation has seasonal changes mediated by the reversal of monsoon winds. The frontal zone is less pronounced or decays entirely during the north-east (winter) monsoon season, when the northern part of the Gulf is occupied by a current penetrating the Gulf from the north-east. From the west, the hydrological regime of the sea is mediated by the high saline waters coming from shallow Arabian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz and propagating towards the open Arabian Sea, to the east and south-east.

By using historical data, ongoing field sampling, remote sensing and modeling, we are aimed at understanding the seasonal and interannual changes taking place in pelagic communities of the Sea of Oman. As for the scale of small bays, a few studies have attempted to illustrate the taxonomic diversity of phytoplankton in Muscat area with no attempts to evaluate long-term changes of plankton communities. The Bandar Khayran Bay is a unique feature of the capital area serving as a rich habitat for mangroves, corals, fish, bird nesting, and sea turtles. Data from this region are used as well, to evaluate seasonal and interannual trends of variability.