The closure of the strait of Hormuz has created conditions for an extreme global biodiversity threat, with scientists warning that thousands of stranded ships could spread invasive marine species across the world\u2019s oceans once they begin sailing again.<\/p>\n
More than 1,500 commercial vessels have been stuck in the Gulf since the strategic waterway closed on 28 February after the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a>. An international team of marine biologists said that with the stranded ships remaining motionless, their hulls were becoming encrusted with marine life \u2013 from microbes and algae to barnacles and other invertebrates \u2013 that could hitchhike to ports around the world when trade resumed.<\/p>\n Prof Mario Tamburri, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the study\u2019s lead author, said: \u201cIf you had to design the worst-case scenario, I don\u2019t know if you could have done it differently. It is a perfect storm.\u201d<\/p>\n The research<\/a> describes the situation as a potential marine \u201cbio-invasion super-spreader event\u201d, arguing that no previous shipping disruption has involved so many vessels remaining idle for so long.<\/p>\n According to the study, ships normally only remain at anchor in a harbour for one to three days, limiting the growth of organisms on their submerged surfaces. But many vessels trapped in the Gulf have remained stationary for months, allowing dense marine communities to establish themselves.<\/p>\n If thousands of vessels leave carrying barnacles, algae, mussels and other organisms, they could introduce invasive species that outcompete with native wildlife, spread disease and permanently alter marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you move organisms around, they can reduce biodiversity in the regions they invade, cause local extinction of organisms that they displace,\u201d Tamburri said.<\/p>\n Invasive species can also devastate fisheries, clog the cooling systems of power plants and cost billions of dollars a year to manage, he added.<\/p>\n Barnacles on the hull of a fishing boat awaiting repair in a dry dock. Photograph: N James\/Alamy<\/p>\n The Gulf is already a hotspot for marine invasions, with previous studies identifying dozens of non-native species<\/a> introduced largely by commercial shipping. Researchers said the region\u2019s extreme heat and salinity may make the organisms especially resilient.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re pretty hardy. They\u2019re used to extreme environments, high temperatures and high salinities,\u201d Tamburri said. \u201cThose hardy organisms that can often withstand those extreme environments make really good invaders.\u201d<\/p>\n Tamburri said regions with similarly warm, salty conditions were most under threat. \u201cPorts that have very similar environments to the Gulf region are probably the highest risks,\u201d Tamburri said, highlighting India and Singapore among the locations where authorities should be on alert.<\/p>\n The study said individual ships may have already released millions of larvae into Gulf waters during the months-long lay-up. As shipping resumes, organisms in ballast water, as well as parasites and pathogens in \u201cbiofouling communities\u201d that colonise ships\u2019 hulls, could spread rapidly through the global shipping network.<\/p>\n Tamburri urged governments and shipping companies to inspect and clean ships before they leave the Gulf wherever possible, while ports expecting arrivals should increase monitoring for invasive species and establish rapid-response plans.<\/p>\n Drawing a comparison with public health, Tamburri said the response should mirror efforts to contain infectious diseases. \u201cEarly detection is really important \u2013 prevention before you move around is really important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a lot of ways, it is like tracking flu or Covid. You want to be prepared for it, detect it early. If you find something, manage it right away.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson from the International Maritime Organization said: \u201cBiofouling can be a key vector for transfer of invasive aquatic species. There is a risk of transfer of species if ships are unable to remove fouling before moving out of an area, after a prolonged period of time in one area. The IMO recommends that ship operators follow the IMO biofouling guidelines<\/a> as far as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cThe IMO is currently developing a standalone legally binding instrument for the control and management of ships\u2019 biofouling to minimise the transfer of invasive aquatic species.\u201d<\/p>\n Referring to ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass meadows and oyster beds, Tamburri said: \u201cIf authorities fail to act, some of the world\u2019s most valuable marine habitats could suffer lasting damage.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of those are likely to be impacted and perhaps damaged beyond repair,\u201d he said, calling it a \u201csuper-spreader version\u201d of the way ships already transported invasive species around the world.<\/p>\n While human safety had to remain the priority, Tamburri asked governments not to lose sight of the environmental risks. \u201cConflicts like this are horrible,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s human suffering, but we can\u2019t ignore the environmental consequences, either.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The closure of the strait of Hormuz has created conditions for an extreme global biodiversity threat, with scientists…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":564779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[242,85,46,141],"class_list":["post-564778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=564778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}