Overview
- A peer-reviewed paper published July 22 in Biological Invasions reports that roughly 1,500 commercial vessels stalled in the Persian/Arabian Gulf and hundreds more in the Gulf of Oman have sat idle for months and may now carry heavy biofouling.
- Biofouling occurs when algae, barnacles, mussels and tunicates build up on hulls and propellers, and the study says prolonged anchoring and loss of antifouling effectiveness make these ships unusually likely to transport those organisms to distant ports.
- Authors and experts say large-scale cleaning before ships depart is impractical because in-water cleaning firms lack the capacity to service so many vessels quickly and sending divers into regional waters would pose safety risks during ongoing conflict.
- The paper warns species adapted to the Gulf’s high temperatures and salinity may be especially able to establish elsewhere as oceans warm, which could harm fisheries, aquaculture and coastal industries with impacts that are costly or impossible to reverse.
- Researchers call for rapid international coordination, stronger mandatory biofouling rules and stepped-up port surveillance, while noting that so far there are no reports of widescale remedial action to prevent the predicted spread.