From sea turtles to birds and the gentle dugong, the Persian Gulf's diverse but fragile marine life is threatened by the bombs and oil of the war in the Middle East.
The ecosystem was already under pressure from climate change and maritime traffic before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February, leading to Tehran's region-wide retaliation.
kAm|@C6 E92? b__ :?4:56?ED :?G@=G:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C:D<D \\ :?4=F5:?8 2EE24<D @? @:= E2?<6CD \\ 92G6 366? C64@C565 :? E96 C68:@? D:?46 E96 4@?7=:4E 3C@<6 @FE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 |2C49 `_ C6A@CE 3J E96 r@?7=:4E 2?5 t?G:C@?>6?E ~3D6CG2E@CJ[ 2 &z ?@?\8@G6C?>6?E2= @C82?:D2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 86@8C2A9J @7 E96 vF=7 >2<6D :ED 64@DJDE6> A2CE:4F=2C=J GF=?6C23=6]k^Am
kAmp D6>:\6?4=@D65 2?5 D92==@H D62 23@FE d_ >6EC6D W`ed 766EX 566A @? 2G6C286[ :E :D 4@??64E65 E@ E96 x?5:2? ~462? E9C@F89 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK] xED D=@H H2E6C C6?6H2= \\ 6G6CJ EH@ E@ 7:G6 J62CD \\ =:>:ED E96 5:DA6CD:@? @7 @:= @C @E96C A@==FE2?ED]Â k^Am
kAm%96 C68:@? 9@DED E96 H@C=5VD D64@?5\=2C86DE A@AF=2E:@? @7 5F8@?8D \\ 96C3:G@C@FD >2C:?6 >2>>2=D <?@H? 2D QD62 4@HDQ E92E 2C6 =:DE65 2D GF=?6C23=6 \\ H:E9 2? 6DE:>2E65 d[___ E@ f[d__ :?5:G:5F2=D]Â k^Am
kAmp3@FE 2 5@K6? DA64:6D @7 >2C:?6 >2>>2=D 2C6 2=D@ 7@F?5 E96C6[ :?4=F5:?8 9F>A324< H92=6D 2?5 H92=6 D92C<D]k^Am
kAmx? E@E2=[ >@C6 E92? a[___ >2C:?6 DA64:6D 92G6 366? C64@C565 :? E96 H2C> vF=7 H2E6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 @G6C d__ 7:D9 DA64:6D 2?5 7:G6 EJA6D @7 D62 EFCE=6D[ 2>@?8 E96> E96 4C:E:42==J 6?52?86C65 92H<D3:== D62 EFCE=6]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2=D@ 23@FE `__ DA64:6D @7 4@C2=D H9:49[ E@86E96C H:E9 >2?8C@G6D 2?5 D628C2DD 365D[ 7@C> 6DD6?E:2= 3C665:?8 2?5 ?FCD6CJ 8C@F?5D 7@C 7:D9 2?5 4CFDE2462?D]k^Am
k9am\ V%:>6 3@>3V \k^9am
kAmvC66?A6246 H2C?65 =2DE H66< E92E 5@K6?D @7 E2?<6CD 42CCJ:?8 2C@F?5 a` 3:==:@? =:EC6D Wd]d 3:==:@? 82==@?DX @7 @:= H6C6 EC2AA65 :? E96 !6CD:2? vF=7]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2? 64@=@8:42= E:4<:?8 E:>6 3@>3[Q D2:5 }:?2 }@6==6[ @7 vC66?A6246 v6C>2?J[ H9@ 92D 366? >2AA:?8 @:= E2?<6CD :? E96 C68:@?]k^Am
kAm$:?46 |2C49 `[ ?:?6 :?4:56?ED :?G@=G:?8 @:= E2?<6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 2EE24<D[92G6 366? C6A@CE65 E@ E96 &?:E65 z:?85@> |2C:E:>6 %C256 ~A6C2E:@?D 46?EC6 W&z|%~X[ 6:89E @7 H9:49 H6C6 =2E6C 4@?7:C>65 3J E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= |2C:E:>6 ~C82?:K2E:@? Wx|~X]Â k^Am
kAm%9C66 255:E:@?2= 2EE24<D H6C6 4=2:>65 3J xC2?VD xD=2>:4 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5 r@CAD[ E9@F89 E96D6 92G6 ?@E 366? 4@?7:C>65 3J :?E6C?2E:@?2= 3@5:6D]k^Am
kAm~? =2?5[ xC2?VD u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C p332D pC28949: D2:5 |@?52J E92E xDC26=: DEC:<6D @? %69C2? 7F6= 56A@ED 4@?DE:EFE65 Q64@4:56Q[ 4@?E2>:?2E:?8 D@:= 2?5 8C@F?5H2E6C 2?5 42FD:?8 =@?8\E6C> C:D<D E@ A6@A=6VD 962=E9]k^Am
k9am\ !2DE 6IA6C:6?46D \k^9am
kAmQ%96 H2CD :? E96Â `hg_D 2?5 `hh_D 56>@?DEC2E6 9@H 6IA@D65 E96 64@DJDE6>D @7 E96 !6CD:2? vF=7 2C6 E@ 4@?7=:4E A@==FE:@?[ H96E96C E9:D :D 7C@> 52>286 E@ @?\ @C @77D9@C6 @:= 724:=:E:6D @C E9C@F89Â DA:==D 7C@> 2EE24<D @? D9:AA:?8[Q rt~q$ 5:C64E@C s@F8 (6:C E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 vF=7 (2C :? `hh` EC:886C65 @?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE >2C:?6 @:= DA:==D =:?<65 E@ 2C>65 4@?7=:4E[ H96? C6EC62E:?8 xC2B: 7@C46D 56=:36C2E6=J @A6?65 @:= G2=G6D :? zFH2:E 2?5 56DEC@J65 @:= :?7C2DECF4EFC6]Â k^Am
kAmxE E@@< 564256D E@ C64@G6Ci FA E@ `` >:==:@? 32CC6=D @7 @:= W`]fd 3:==:@? =:EC6DX H6C6 C6=62D65[ 4@?E2>:?2E:?8 ec_ <:=@>6EC6D @7 $2F5: 4@2DE=:?6 2?5 <:==:?8 >@C6 E92? b_[___ D623:C5D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ D6G6C2= DEF5:6D]k^Am
kAm%96 DEF5:6D[ 9@H6G6C[ Q=2C86=J D9@H65 >:?:>2= :>A24ED @? 4@C2= C667DQ[ D2:5 y@9? qFCE[ 3:@=@8J AC@76DD@C 2E E96 |F3252=2 pC23:2? r6?E6C 7@C r=:>2E6 2?5 t?G:C@?>6?E2= $4:6?46D 2E }6H *@C< &?:G6CD:EJ p3F s923:]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D =2C86=J 3642FD6 @:= 7=@2ED[ D@ E96 5:DA6CD2= @7 @:= C6>2:?D @? E96 DFC7246 2?5 5@6D?VE C62==J :?E6C24E H:E9 4@C2=D 6I46AE :? E96 >@DE D92==@H 2C62D[Q qFCE D2:5]k^Am
kAmQw@H6G6C[ E96 D2>6 42??@E 36 D2:5 7@C :?E6CE:52= DJDE6>DQ DF49 2D D2=E >2CD96D 2?5 >F57=2ED E92E =:?6 E96 4@2DE 2?5 2C6 6IA@D65 2E =@H E:56[ 96 25565]k^Am
kAmQw6C6[ @:= DA:==D 42? 92G6 D:8?:7:42?E 2?5 >65:F>\E6C> :>A24ED[ :7 E96 DA:==D 364@>6 4@2DE2=[Q qFCE D2:5]k^Am
kAm$623:C5D 2C6 6DA64:2==J 2E C:D< 3642FD6 @:= 56DEC@J65 E96 H2E6CAC@@7:?8 @7 E96:C 762E96CD[ =625:?8 E@ 9JA@E96C>:2 2?5 5C@H?:?8]k^Am
k9am\ q@>3 ?@:D6 \k^9am
kAmq@>3D 2C6 2=D@ 2 E9C62E E@ E96 2C62VD 3:C5D]k^Am
kAm%96:C >:8C2E:@? 4@F=5 36 5:DCFAE65 3J E96 ?@:D6 @7 6IA=@D:@?D 2?5 3J A=F>6D @7 E@I:4 D>@<6[ 2D E96 pC23:2? !6?:?DF=2 D:ED 2E E96 4C@DDC@25D @7 >2;@C >:8C2E@CJ C@FE6D =:?<:?8 tFC@A6[ r6?EC2= pD:2[ p7C:42 2?5 $@FE9 pD:2]k^Am
kAmQ$62 >:?6D 2?5 @E96C 6IA=@D:G6 56G:46DÂ 42? 42FD6 24@FDE:4 5:DEFC32?46 :>A24E:?8 D62 >2>>2=D 2?5 @E96C 2?:>2=D[ 2?5 3=2DE 52>286 E@ ?2EFC2= F?56CD62 DECF4EFC6D DF49 2D C667D[Q (6:C D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? a__b 2?5 a_a_[ EH@ DEF5:6D AF3=:D965 :? }2EFC6 2?5 :? 2 ;@FC?2= @7 E96 #@J2= $@4:6EJ 7@F?5 =:?<D 36EH66? E96 FD6 @7 >:5\7C6BF6?4J >:=:E2CJ D@?2C 2?5 H92=6 DEC2?5:?8D]k^Am
kAm56A^;>:^=E^C>3k^Am