There are more than 1,500 commercial ships that have spent months sitting nearly motionless in and around the Persian Gulf after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This has created what marine scientists describe as an ecological threat unlike anything previously documented, allowing unusually dense layers of marine organisms to accumulate on their submerged hulls.

Ships stalled in the Gulf region due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could pose an 'immense' threat, according to a paper published last week. Experts say biofouling on…

A group of researchers warned that ships stalled by the Iran war could spread invasive marine organisms when trade resumes.