Something is lurking under the ships in Strait of Hormuz, and could spawn a 'biological apocalypse'

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has not only caused an economic crisis in the world, but an ecological disaster is also waiting to happen. More than 1,500 ships were stranded in the crucial waterway used for transporting oil, and several are also waiting to cross the Persian Gulf. A study has flagged that this could create a major biofouling issue, as the stagnant waters will become breeding grounds for biofilms and other organisms. Algae, microbes, barnacles, mussels and other invertebrates will cling to the sides and bottoms of the vessels, causing them to spread when the ships start moving.

This super-spreader event will lead the invasive species to take over regions they are not supposed to be in otherwise. That would be a major problem for marine life in those places where the native species will be left struggling to survive. The study was carried out by a team of researchers led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).

“Ships in the Gulf region had remained idle there for at least 40 times longer than an average stay,” the researchers wrote in a study published in Biological Invasions.

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The authors wrote that it would take endemic organisms only about ten days to spread and grow on the underside of the ships. Even if the surfaces have been pretreated with antifouling coatings, it would be no problem for them because the coating starts degrading after being exposed for long periods to ocean water.

Can these organisms survive the long trip through hot waters?

One could argue that organisms living in the hypersaline shallow waters would not be able to survive the long journeys and the warmer ocean waters elsewhere. However, the study states that endemic organisms in the Persian Gulf have evolved to tolerate industrial and urban stresses, and also surface temperatures of over 38 °C. This would allow them to cross the ocean without any problem and colonise other parts of the sea.

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Stranding in hot months gave organisms the perfect breeding ground

The ships have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for the summer and spring months. This has created ideal warm conditions for these organisms to reproduce. With thousands of ships available to latch onto, the larvae of the invasive species will have no problem finding a surface to cling to and grow. Some of these species will turn parasitic, meaning they can spread diseases that will kill native species and could possibly even reach humans.

The team suggest assessing the extent of biofouling on ships before departure and predicting their routes and any ports where they may remain temporarily idle to prevent the spread of invasive species. Ports already vulnerable to invasive species need rapid response measures to reduce the risk. They add that now is not the time to stop them from spreading on the vessels since they would have already taken over. What is needed is quick and effective coordination action to stop this from becoming a super-spreader event.