More than 1,500 stranded ships could soon carry an ecological crisis from the Persian/Arabian Gulf to coastlines around the world. More than 1,500 commercial ships stranded in the Persian/Arabian Gulf may be turning into floating habitats for invasive marine life. Invasive Species Ready to TravelCarolyn Tepolt, a WHOI biologist who studies the evolution and movement of invasive marine species, contributed expertise on how widely distributed biofouling organisms respond to new environments. “Marine invasive species have profound ecological and economic impacts on coastlines across the globe,” explained Tepolt, “and are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate once they become established. Such outbreaks can be unpredictable and, in some cases, cause more damage than the invasive species carrying them.