Scientists warn stranded Gulf ships could spread invasive marine life

Ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. FILE PIC

More than 1500 commercial ships stranded in the Persian/Arabian Gulf may be turning into floating habitats for invasive marine life.

As algae, barnacles, mussels, microbes, and other organisms build up on their submerged surfaces, the vessels could carry those species to ports around the world.

Scientists warn that the disruption has created the conditions for a global marine bioinvasion "super-spreader" event.

Ships usually spend up to three days in port. The ships trapped in the Gulf have stayed there for at least 40 times longer.

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