The 1,500 cargo ships that have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz since the war between the US and Iran broke out could be the starting point for a marine ecological disaster, a new study warns.
It is not uncommon for cargo ships to carry microbes and algae from one port to another. But when ships have been stationary for as long as many have in the Strait of Hormuz, the risk increases that algae or invertebrates such as barnacles will get stuck and follow them to the ship's final destination.
Clams are a form of crustacean that often get stuck on ships, for example - barnacles and longnecks are two that occur in Swedish waters, but there are thousands of species, some of which are parasites.
Intruder
The researchers see the situation as potentially very serious.
"When you move organisms around, they can reduce biodiversity in the regions where they invade and cause local extinctions of organisms," the study's lead author Mario Tamburri told The Guardian.
The researchers emphasize that the human suffering in and around the Strait of Hormuz is arguably the most urgent concern for the outside world, but that one also needs to consider the risk that the stationary ships may pose.
"In many ways it's like tracking the flu or Covid. You want to be prepared for it, detect it early. If you find it, you want to be able to act immediately," Tamburri told The Guardian.
Spread
Scientists are concerned that the ships could pose a “super-spreader event,” especially for ports in countries that are similar to the Persian Gulf in temperature, such as India and Singapore.
The Middle East region is already known for having dozens of invasive species that have free-ridden on international merchant ships, species that thrive in the region's harsh environment.
It is the tough organisms that can often withstand these extreme environments that become really good invaders, Tamburri told The Guardian.
