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The word desert suggests a place utterly arid and sterile. In fact, deserts have complex ecosystems. Plants and trees that thrive in them could be used better for food, fuel, shelter and as a way of controlling the shifting sands. Scientists are agreed that, to control moving deserts, they must learn more about the dynamics of sand dunes. For these reasons, the Royal Geographical Society, in co-operation with the Government of Oman and the Sultan Oaboos Uni-versity, mounted an expedition in 1986. Its members represented eight scientific disciplines, all centrally co-ordinated. The chosen site was the Wahiba Sand Sea in the Sultanate of Oman, the best-known example of a small sand sea ecosystem in the world. Throughout the studys four-month duration, the mileage covered equalled 20 journeys around the world. The nomadic bedu, masters of their environment, shared knowledge gained from generations of herding camels and goats. By contrast, NASA supplied up-to-date satellite images specially taken for the investigating team.