STRAIT OF HORMUZ — Environmental researchers have warned that a monthlong maritime blockade and ongoing military activity in the Strait of Hormuz are threatening the waterway's marine species, including rare whales, dugongs, and coral ecosystems. Approximately 800 vessels are trapped behind the blockade, while naval mines, military operations, and congested shipping lanes have made the strait a hazardous environment for both vessels and wildlife.

The strait and surrounding Gulf waters are home to approximately 7,000 dugongs and a nonmigratory population of fewer than 100 Arabian humpback whales. Unlike Atlantic humpback whales, the Arabian population does not migrate, leaving it unable to flee the disruption. Both species are adapted to heat and salinity levels similar to those projected for the world's oceans by 2050, making them of particular scientific interest.

"These baleen whales have no way to escape," said Olivier Adam, a researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. "Their emitted sounds, which are therefore important for structuring their social groups, can be masked by underwater noise pollution from human activities at sea." As underwater noise levels rise, humpback whales reduce their diving activity, effectively entering a forced fasting period that weakens them over time.

Military activity introduces shock waves and pressure changes that can harm marine species. When triggered, naval mines generate high-pressure shock waves capable of rupturing internal organs in fish and damaging the auditory systems of marine mammals.

Aaron Bartholomew, a professor of biology, chemistry, and environmental sciences at the American University of Sharjah, offered a different assessment of the sonar threat. "Overall, they will likely be fine. The most likely outcome is temporary displacement from areas with extensive sonar use," he said. Such displacement can still interfere with feeding patterns and habitat use, potentially leading to longer-term ecological stress.

The risk of oil spills poses an additional danger. The Arabian Gulf takes between two and five years to fully exchange its waters, meaning contaminants can persist for years. "A major oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz could contaminate beaches and severely affect turtle nesting sites, including islands such as the Sir Bu Nair," Bartholomew said. "Oil spills can kill adult turtles and sea snakes and damage nesting habitats. They could also harm marine mammals such as the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Musandam waters [near the strait] and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, as well as kill seabirds," he added. "Although oil generally floats, storms and high waves can mix it to deeper depths, which could negatively affect coral in the strait's region, where coral diversity is the highest in the Gulf, especially on the Iranian side," he said.

Whale sharks migrate seasonally into the Gulf through the strait between May and September and are vulnerable to floating oil while feeding near the surface. Oil slicks create shaded areas that attract small fish and can draw turtles, sharks, and marine birds into contaminated zones. "The oil slicks that remain on the surface block sunlight and prevent photosynthesis, which is essential for seagrass meadows," Adam said. Dugongs depend on those meadows, and damage to shallow seabed habitats is difficult to reverse.

The conflict also disrupts scientists' ability to monitor ecosystems by cutting off access to coastline and sea. "Fieldwork becomes impossible," he said. Shipowners are preparing to move vessels trapped behind the blockade.