There\u2019s trouble brewing in the water. The ongoing war with Iran has stranded more than 1,500 ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, since February. While closure of the strait has led to severe economic consequences, there is also a burgeoning ecological crisis. Invasive species growing on the hulls of the trapped ships could soon voyage across the globe.<\/p>\n
There is a \u201chigh likelihood\u201d that the idle ships in the Strait of Hormuz will \u201cfacilitate the extensive spread of economically and ecologically damaging invasive species as they reenter the global shipping network,\u201d said a study published in the journal Biological Invasions. The stagnant ships\u2019 hulls are \u201cbecoming encrusted with marine life,\u201d from \u201cmicrobes and algae to barnacles and other invertebrates,\u201d a phenomenon called biofouling, said The Guardian. These organisms can \u201chitchhike to ports around the world\u201d when trade resumes.<\/p>\n
The \u201cPersian\/Arabian Gulf is home to more than 50 marine nonnative species, and many species native to the region have already been introduced across the globe,\u201d said four of the authors of the study in The Conversation. The circumstances, however, are different this time.<\/p>\n
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Ships \u201cnormally only remain at anchor in a harbor for one to three days, limiting the growth of organisms on their submerged surfaces,\u201d said The Guardian. In the case of the current block of the Strait of Hormuz, many vessels have \u201cremained stationary for months, allowing dense marine communities to establish themselves.\u201d The marine organisms of the Middle East \u201ccan withstand extremes,\u201d Mario Tamburri, a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the study\u2019s lead author, said to USA Today. They are \u201ctolerant organisms, which makes them good candidates for invasions when they go to a new location.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marine invasive species \u201chave profound ecological and economic impacts on coastlines across the globe\u201d and are \u201cextremely difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate once they become established,\u201d Carolyn Tepolt, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and co-author of the study, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Invasive species can outcompete local species, fundamentally altering the ecosystem. They can also perpetuate the spread of \u201cparasites and diseases that are either entrained within ship ballast tanks or associated with organisms attached to ship hulls,\u201d April Blakeslee, an associate professor of biology at East Carolina University and co-author of the study, said to Live Science (a sister site of The Week).<\/p>\n
The organisms can \u201ccause millions of dollars\u2019 worth of damage\u201d as well, Tamburri said to ABC News. Biofouling can \u201clead ships to have more drag as they move through the water, burning extra fuel and increasing exhaust emissions,\u201d said USA Today. Invasive species can also disrupt fisheries and aquaculture, requiring extra money to manage.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz may be the current invasive species risk, but climate change and warming temperatures have been increasing the level of global spread. \u201cCurrent ship biofouling management and regulatory frameworks are insufficient to mitigate the impacts of large-scale, unplanned vessel lay-up events,\u201d said the study. \u201cWhile the human and economic consequences of events like the war in the Middle East will always remain the highest priority, ecological impacts cannot be overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective. \u00a0<\/p>\n