The need for coordination is not limited to the sea. Almost any significant environmental crisis in the region can cross borders and affect neighboring countries, including Israel. But the past several years of war and the academic boycott of Israel have made scientific and professional ties with countries in the region even more difficult — including countries with which Israel maintains diplomatic relations.Algae on Palmachim Beach (Credit: Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research)Regarding the marine environment and ties with neighboring Arab countries, Dr. Shevy Rothman of Tel Aviv University’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, who researches fish, said: “The difficulties are nothing new. It’s not just because of the war. This goes back much further. In the past, there were researchers we could at least communicate with to some extent. When it comes to marine issues, you really shouldn’t be constrained by national borders because our problem is the same problem neighboring countries will face. We often find ourselves in a bind because they are unwilling to cooperate with us.”GalleryPollution crosses borders. Murky water at Palmachim earlier this month (Photo: Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research)Dr. Rothman added: “There is a Lebanese marine researcher with whom researchers in Israel had some form of communication, even if not directly, through joint publications. A few years ago, he largely disavowed that arrangement, and whenever there was regional cooperation, he said that if we were listed on the paper, he would withdraw from it. Usually, if it is a regional effort involving several researchers, they won’t remove the Lebanese researcher. They’ll remove the Israeli researcher. We know that in Lebanon they are prohibited from having contact with us.”Regarding researchers from Jordan, Dr. Rothman said: “In Jordan, there are some who continue to cooperate to this day. It has held up there, but it depends more on the individual researcher. Some Jordanian researchers will boycott us and others will cooperate.”According to Dr. Rothman, the past three years of war have led to a deterioration in communication and the exclusion of Israeli researchers from regional collaborations. She herself was supposed to take part in a delegation to a conference in Djibouti in November 2023, which was, of course, canceled.“Djibouti decided right at the beginning of the war to side with the Palestinians and said it was unwilling to have Israeli citizens on its soil,” she said.On the importance of cooperation, Dr. Rothman added: “My agenda in life is science. I don’t live in a bubble. I live in this region.”She said a paper with numerous authors was published in recent weeks that included regional maps showing reports and trends from countries throughout the region. Yet despite Israel being an important center for science and research, it appeared as a blank space, with Israeli researchers not even approached to participate.The study was published by a Greek researcher, and when he was contacted and asked why Israel had not been included, it became apparent that he effectively had no choice.“Scientifically, it presents a picture that simply isn’t accurate. They’re ignoring Israel,” she said.Did the pollution come from there? A beach in the Gaza Strip (Photo: Reuters)“It’s a terrible shame for many reasons,” Dr. Rothman said. “We really are one of the most important places for marine research in the region. Israel has some of the highest-quality research institutions. There are many extremely critical changes taking place in the sea here, and we could be the ideal platform for taking part in a regional effort on everything related to nature conservation and marine research. Instead, we are being excluded from many studies. It’s often very frustrating, but we continue our work until the storm passes.”Is there anything that can be done about the situation?Dr. Zafrir Kuplik, a jellyfish researcher and curator of the cnidarian collection at Tel Aviv University’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, said that before the past several years of war, there had been an attempt in his field to establish ties with researchers in Egypt.“A country with which, ostensibly, on paper, we have peace,” he said. “But the Egyptians don’t cooperate. If there were cooperation — wow — for me, that would be a very big deal for jellyfish research, but no contact was established.”Dr. Kuplik said personal connections are sometimes formed at workshops and conferences, including one such relationship with a researcher from Tunisia. He said she had never told him there was a problem working with Israelis in the field.Notice from Egypt’s water authority regarding the pollution translated to English