Beneath the surface of the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding Persian Gulf lies a true biological sanctuary. The region is home to around 7,000 dugongs and around 100 humpback whales, a non-migratory population forced to remain in these waters. The American magazine Wired looked at the dramatic consequences of the war in Iran and the Middle East for local wildlife.
While Donald Trump proclaimed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for the duration of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, navigation in reality remains very uncertain, against a backdrop of an American naval blockade and Iranian threats to close the passage if Washington does not lift its “siege” of the country’s ports. Suspected mines, increased military presence and queues of hundreds of ships awaiting transit keep the strait in a state of high risk, for trade routes and marine ecosystems.
First, commercial fishing, banned in 2008, then global warming have already seriously altered the environment of humpback whales and reduced their numbers. Between 2012 and 2021, their population fell by 20% in certain maritime areas. These marine species, adapted to extreme conditions of heat and salinity, represent for scientists a model of resilience in the face of climate change. But their immediate survival is today once again threatened by human activities.
Noise constitutes one of the major dangers. Underwater explosions and military sonars can disorient and even physically injure cetaceans. Whales rely on sound to feed, move, reproduce and communicate. When this acoustic environment is disrupted, their survival behaviors are affected. In the Arabian Sea humpback whale, which does not migrate, leaving the area is not even an option, putting them under even more stress.
Shipping traffic produces low-frequency sounds similar to those used by these marine animals, jamming their communications. This noise pollution can disrupt their diet and lead to a reduction in their diving activity, placing them in a form of forced fasting that gradually weakens them.
Increased risk of pollution
In the narrow corridor of approximately 34 kilometers that constitutes the Strait of Hormuz, military activities further increase pressures. The explosions generate shock waves capable of killing fish or damaging the hearing systems of marine mammals. Even when not fatal, these disruptions can have lasting effects on their ability to survive. Especially since the Persian Gulf presents another major vulnerability: it renews slowly. It takes between two and five years for its water to be completely replaced. Pollutants, such as oil or debris, can therefore persist for a long time and have a lasting impact on ecosystems.
An oil spill would have widespread consequences, affecting beaches, turtle breeding grounds and many marine species, including dolphins and birds. Even on the surface, pollution can change behavior: oil slicks attract fish, thus exposing other species to contaminated areas.
For dugongs, the threat is different, but just as serious. These herbivorous marine mammals depend on seagrass beds, which require light to grow. However, oil slicks block light and prevent photosynthesis, compromising their habitat.
Finally, the conflict also disrupts scientific research. Access to study areas becomes difficult, if not impossible, at a time when ecosystem monitoring is crucial. Observation tools, particularly acoustic ones, are themselves disturbed by ambient noise. However, the Arabian Gulf constitutes a unique natural laboratory for understanding the adaptation of marine ecosystems to climate change. The disappearance of these species would represent a major scientific loss.
