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LiveScience
LiveScience
Pandora Dewan

Biological 'superspreader' event could be imminent as more than 1,000 ships idle in the Strait of Hormuz, scientists warn

Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

An ecological "superspreader" event may be imminent as more than 1,500 ships continue to idle in the closed Strait of Hormuz, with the potential to cause serious impacts for human health and global marine ecosystems, scientists warn.

In a study published July 22 in the journal Biological Invasions, scientists explain how the hundreds of stranded commercial vessels sitting idle on both sides of the strait are being colonized by marine microbes, algae, seaweed, barnacles and other invertebrates. The problem is that once these ships start moving again, these organisms will be spread all around the world.

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