Alaska saw 30,000 ship arrivals in 11 years; their hulls created a hidden invasive species risk

Researchers found that nearly 30,000 commercial vessel arrivals brought 430 sq km of submerged surface area to Alaska between 2012 and 2022. The study says this surface can carry marine organisms through biofouling. Passenger vessels accounted for more than half of the total area, while warming waters and increased Arctic shipping could raise the risk of non-indigenous species reaching Alaska.