Strait of Hormuz ship standstill threatens global marine invasive species crisis

Scientists are worried about a big problem in the ocean.

Because of a conflict between the US and Iran, many ships have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz for a long time.

While they are stuck, tiny sea creatures and plants are growing on the ships' hulls.

When the ships start moving again, these creatures could travel to new places and cause problems for the local sea life.

Scientists say this could be a big issue because these creatures are hard to get rid of once they settle in a new place.

They are asking ship owners and governments to clean the ships before they start moving again to stop these creatures from spreading.