An international coalition of 24 marine scientists is sounding the alarm on a brewing global ecological crisis, and an East Carolina University professor is helping lead the warning.
Researchers caution that the nearly five-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created a biological super-spreader event. More than 1,500 commercial vessels are currently stranded and idling in regional waters during peak marine growth season.
Scientists, including ECU biology professor Dr. April Blakeslee, said these ships' hulls are rapidly being colonized by invasive bacteria, algae, and barnacles. When shipping trade resumes, these heavily fouled vessels will carry hitchhiking species to ports worldwide.
Experts warn these biological invasions could devastate local fisheries, disrupt native ecosystems, and burden coastal communities with major infrastructure maintenance costs.
The research coalition is urging port authorities and ship operators to prepare early detection networks and schedule hull cleanings now to neutralize the biosecurity threat before global fleets set sail.
