A vessel carrying thousands of tons of fertilizer has sunk in the Red Sea, raising fears of an environmental disaster in a part of the ocean known to harbor some of the world’s most heat-resistant coral reefs. On March 2, the MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged but U.K.-owned cargo ship, sank into the Red Sea after being attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Feb. 18. The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group in Yemen, have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s offensive on Gaza. Data suggest that since Nov. 19, the group has attacked at least 40 vessels. The vessel was reportedly carrying about 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, which experts say could cause detrimental effects to the marine environment. Shortly after the attack, the vessel also began leaking heavy fuel, leaving a 30-kilometer (18-mile) long oil slick in the water. On Feb. 19, the the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority successfully rescued the Rubymar’s captain and crew. The authority said in a statement that the fertilizer on board the vessel was “very dangerous.” The sinking of the Rubymar could have “far-reaching consequences,” says Jreissati of Greenpeace MENA. Dolphins at at Shaab Marsa Alam, Egypt. Image by Alfonso González / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED). Julien Jreissati, the program director at Greenpeace MENA (Middle East and North Africa), said that without immediate action, the situation would likely escalate into a “major environmental crisis.” “As well as any further leaks of fuel oil from the…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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