Image Courtesy: ShutterstockMore than 1,500 commercial ships stranded in the Persian Gulf could unintentionally trigger a global ecological crisis by transporting invasive marine species to coastlines around the world once shipping resumes, according to a new international study. The vessels have remained anchored in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman for months, allowing algae, barnacles, mussels, microbes, and other marine organisms to accumulate on their submerged hulls. Scientists say this prolonged inactivity has transformed the ships into floating ecosystems capable of carrying invasive species across international shipping routes. Ships routinely transport marine life through ballast water and organisms attached to their hulls. In contrast, many of the stranded ships have been stationary for weeks or months, giving marine organisms ample time to settle, reproduce, and spread.