Scientists Sound the Alarm: Ships Stuck in the Strait of Hormuz Will Spread a Potent Biological Cocktail Around the World

The conflict in the Middle East, which escalated after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, has paralyzed one of the world's main maritime arteries — the Strait of Hormuz. The result is a giant traffic jam: more than 1,500 tankers and dry cargo ships are stuck on both sides of the strait. But in addition to fuel shortages and rising prices, the prolonged blockade, as Live Science writes, could lead to a global spread of invasive species.

Normally, cargo ships spend a day or two in ports. However, the current forced standstill has been going on for months. According to a study published in the journal Biological Invasions, it is precisely due to long periods of idling that ships turn into ideal incubators.

Scientists have found that after about 10 days of inactivity, marine organisms arriving from various corners of the world on ship hulls actively mix between the idle vessels and truly begin to flourish.

Special protective coatings, designed to prevent biofouling, work much less effectively in stagnant water. As a result, ships from all over the world, standing side by side, exchange local flora and fauna, creating a potent biological mixture.

Once shipping resumes, these organisms will be carried by ships along new routes. Some species may establish themselves in new locations, displacing local organisms and disrupting ecosystem balance.

One of the most well-known examples is the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), which entered the Great Lakes of North America in the 1980s with the ballast water of European ships. The mollusks literally infested the water bodies, displacing native species and clogging water intake systems. The remediation of the consequences cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The danger is not limited to ecology alone. Along with the organisms, parasites and pathogens can spread, capable of infecting local marine life, harming fisheries and aquaculture, and in some cases, posing a threat to humans.

Scientists consider ports to be the most vulnerable, as ships will head there first after the Strait reopens. At risk are India, Singapore, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, and a number of Middle Eastern countries where water temperature and salinity are similar to the conditions in the Persian Gulf.

To prevent the spread of alien species, researchers propose cleaning ship hulls before leaving the region, assessing the risk for each vessel, and organizing early detection systems for dangerous organisms in ports.

«The humanitarian and economic consequences of war will always be the top priority. But the ecological consequences cannot be ignored either», — note the authors of the study.

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