Researchers at the Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology have published a new study recently demonstrating the ecological threat posed by biofouling. Their analysis found that half the ships passing along the Mediterranean coast of Israel are carrying potentially invasive ascidians on their hulls, among other organisms picked up from around the world.
“These ascidians are passing through the Suez Canal, latching onto ropes and the bottom of the ship. They’re filter feeders, so they cover and clog every surface they latch onto, creating a lot of drag for the ship and damaging marine biodiversity in their new environments. They’re a major threat to our coasts and are very costly to shipowners,” said TAU’s Dr. Noa Shenkar, who led the research.
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