Sunken WWII hospital ship becomes unexpected habitat
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
An Italian and Albanian team of scientists studied the wreck of the Italian hospital ship “Po” in the Gulf of Vlora, Albania, between June 2022 and September 2024.
The “Po” sank in 1941 after being hit by a torpedo during the Greco-Italian War and now functions as an artificial reef. Researchers found that over 80% of the ship’s surface is covered with marine life. The shipwreck provides shelter and food for various organisms, including endangered and invasive species.
Scientists observed lionfish, also known as firefish, at the site, noting increased sightings of this species migrating from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal along the border between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Notably, in August 2023, the team recorded a Mediterranean monk seal resting inside the ship’s cavities.
This marked the first confirmed presence of this seal, Monachus monachus, in the Gulf of Vlora since 1996, and scientists believe warming waters are accelerating the arrival of these tropical and foreign species.
