Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warn
The study says hull fouling on stranded vessels could spread hardy warm-water organisms to distant ports and raise fuel and cleanup costs.
- On July 22, marine biologist Mario Tamburri and an international team warned that more than 1,500 commercial vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf since February 28 could trigger a global 'bioinvasion super-spreader event.'
- The Strait of Hormuz closure forced vessels to anchor in warm, saline waters for nearly five months, creating ideal conditions for algae, barnacles, and other marine organisms to colonize ship hulls aggressively.
- Specialized hull-cleaning costs have surged nearly 60 per cent to approximately $8,000 per vessel, while biofouling increases fuel consumption by more than 50 per cent.
- Researchers recommend mandatory hull inspections and cleaning before vessels depart, as ships may transport harmful parasites and pathogens threatening global fisheries and coastal ecosystems.
- Once vessels rejoin global shipping routes, resilient Gulf species could permanently alter ecosystems across Europe, Asia, and Africa, posing a complex biosecurity challenge difficult to reverse.
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75 Articles
Ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz region may be biosecurity risks when they leave. What can we do?
Elke Scholiers/Getty Images, CC BYThe economic ramifications of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are much discussed. But so far, the risk of ecological damage following a long blockade of ships has been overlooked. Our recent research shows the more than 1,500 commercial vessels that have been laid up in the Persian/Arabian Gulf since February pose a significant environmental threat because they have been accumulating marine biofouling specie…
Biologists from different countries warn that ships stranded in the Strait of Ormuz could transport invasive species all over the world
This article was originally published on Cedarnews.net. For more exclusive news and reports, visit our website. Elke Scholiers/Getty Images. An international team of marine biologists has warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz portends an “imminent environmental crisis” and poses a “massive threat to global biosecurity,” according to a report published in the journal Biological Invasions. The scientists say that the months-long strandin…
'Worst case scenario' likely as ships trapped by Trump's war could spur 'super spreader'
Stalled ships near the Strait of Hormuz amid President Donald Trump's Iran war threaten more than just oil markets as scientists warn idling vessels could trigger an invasive species "super-spreader event," according to reports on Tuesday.More than 1,500 ships have sat idle in the trade channel since the conflict began on Feb. 28 and experts revealed that organisms growing on hulls and hitchhiking on the vessels could devastate global ecosystems…
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