Ships Stuck in the Strait of Hormuz Could Cause an ‘Invasive Superspreader Event’
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since February 28, stranding more than 1,500 vessels in the narrow waterway. In a new study published in the journal Biological Invasions, the scientists describe how the anchored ships are accumulating dense communities of marine organisms, which they would then carry with them once they begin sailing again. “This disruption to global shipping has many repercussions and has also more quietly created ideal conditions to spread warm-water species to new ports,” Carolyn Tepolt, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and co-author of the recent study, said in a statement.
- ▪The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since February 28, stranding more than 1,500 vessels in the narrow waterway.
- ▪In a new study published in the journal Biological Invasions, the scientists describe how the anchored ships are accumulating dense communities of marine organisms, which they would then carry with them once they begin sailing again.
- ▪“This disruption to global shipping has many repercussions and has also more quietly created ideal conditions to spread warm-water species to new ports,” Carolyn Tepolt, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and co-author
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/ships-stuck-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-could-cause-an-invasive-superspreader-event-2000792824 |
| Publication time | Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:20:36 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-30T14:22:07.997Z |
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The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since February 28, stranding more than 1,500 vessels in the narrow waterway. Aside from the impact on the global supply chain, the idle ships could also have a devastating effect on marine ecosystems worldwide.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000792824","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"earther","SECTION":"conservation","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"conservation","TAGS":"invasive-species,marine-ecology,strait-of-hormuz","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); An international team of marine scientists is warning that the thousands of stranded vessels in the Strait of…
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