Not too far of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf, lies an ecological wonder. The disputed Strait of Hormuz is home to dolphins and the most diverse coral population in the world. region, an underwater world that, according to scientists, may be in danger due to the conflicts that surround it.
Although Iran announced the reopening of the strait during a , around 2,000 vessels remained trapped in the Persian Gulf on Friday morning (17), transporting a total of approximately 21 billion liters of oil. There were at least 16 in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war.
Nina Noelle, spokesperson for Greenpeace, an independent global campaign network focused on environmental issues, told CNN that, through continuous monitoring, the group’s researchers “regularly detect oil slicks in the region”, including one linked to the Iranian ship Shahid Bagheri, which was hit by an American warplane in early March.
According to the organization, the vessel is still leaking oil “near the Khuran Strait and poses a potential risk to nearby protected wetlands.” The Strait of Khuran is a narrower passage that lies north of the Strait of Hormuz.
The geographic position of the Strait of Hormuz makes it a but also ecologically — it is located in a transition zone between the Gulf of Oman, deep and cold, and the Persian Gulf, shallow and warm. Currents coming from the Gulf of Oman carry nutrients and larvae that feed blooming plankton and coral reefs, while deeper upwellings attract reef fish and migratory whale sharks that pass seasonally.
In more peaceful times, diving and dolphin watching in Musandam provincea region of Oman that borders the strait, were major tourist attractions. The strait serves as a nesting area for sea turtles, and the coast of Oman is home to Arabian humpback whales, a critically endangered and non-migratory species, as well as dugongs and sea snakes in the surrounding waters.
As the conflict continues, scientists are increasingly concerned about the impact of oil spills on animals in the region.
“Many of the compounds found in crude oil affect heart function and respiration,” said Martin Grosell, professor and chair of the department of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences. “Prolonged exposure to oil leads to an overload of the stress response, which suppresses immune function, making animals more susceptible to infections and other types of environmental aggression.”
Crude oil also affects animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and their ability to navigate, process information and properly orient themselves in the environment. This affects how they react to predators and find prey, meaning damage to individual animals can ripple throughout the ecosystem.
See animals with unique characteristics in nature
What animals live in the strait?
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south, is located at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Aaron Bartholomew, a biology professor at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates who has conducted field research across the region, describes the strait as the ecological crown of the Gulf.
“The Strait of Hormuz is known for having the greatest diversity and some of the largest coral cover in the entire Gulf,” Bartholomew said. The largest concentrations are on the Iranian side of the strait, as well as parts of the southern Gulf coast. The region’s coral reefs have been heavily impacted by bleaching events linked to rising ocean temperatures, but have resisted, unlike corals elsewhere.
Bartholomew explained that conditions in the Gulf push marine life to its physiological limits. “We have very, very high temperatures during the summer and surprisingly low temperatures in the winter,” he said. “We also have high salinity due to all the evaporation from the Gulf,” he added, referring to the high concentrations of dissolved salts in the water that typically cause ecological damage.
