Scientists warn of strait of Hormuz straits

 

Marcus Alexandersson/TT 

Published 06:15

  

Visa merShips stuck in the Strait of Hormuz could cause a biological disaster if invasive species are carried from the ships when they arrive at another port, according to researchers. Archive photo. Photo: Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP/TTShow more

Invasive species from the Strait of Hormuz could cause “superspreading” and biological chaos, scientists warn in a new study.

– If you had designed the worst-case scenario, I’m not sure you could have done it better, the lead author tells The Guardian.

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.

Barnacles are a type of crustacean that often gets stuck on ships, for example - longnecks and barnacles are two that occur in Swedish waters, but there are thousands of species, some of which are parasites.

Invaders

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 extinction of organisms, says the study's lead author Mario Tamburri to The Guardian.

The researchers emphasize that the human suffering in and around the Strait of Hormuz is probably the most urgent thing for the outside world to care about, but that you also need to think about 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 represent a “super-spreader event,” especially for ports in countries with temperatures similar to the Persian Gulf, such as India and Singapore.

The Middle East region is already known for having dozens of invasive species that have hitched a ride on international merchant ships, species that thrive in the region’s harsh environment.

“It’s the tough organisms that can often withstand these extreme environments that make really good invaders,” Tamburri told The Guardian.