DURING the 1991 Gulf War, the world witnessed one of the largest oil spills in history as 6-8 million barrels of crude oil was deliberately released into the Persian Gulf.

Coral reefs were damaged, fisheries collapsed and seabirds suffered immensely. Some ecosystems took decades to recover and the Gulf still bears the legacy of that catastrophe. More than three decades later, war again ravages the region. Images from Iran show hospitals struck, neighborhoods destroyed and energy facilities burning, as civilian casualties mount into the thousands and entire cities are displaced. Ports operations are disrupted, trade slows and thousands flee as aid routes strain and fertilizer exports falter. Global markets have already reacted, with oil prices climbing and insurers pulling coverage as ships avoid the Strait of Hormuz. Yet, the land’s destruction tells only part of the story. The Strait – a critical chokepoint carrying nearly 1/5th of the world’s oil, now sees commercial traffic stall. Since coordinated US and Israeli attacks in late February, tankers wait in safer waters, insurers withdraw coverage and the crisis above the surface – barrels of oil, sea lanes and geopolitical tension – masks the far-reaching consequences beneath the surface.

The Persian Gulf is a shallow, semi-enclosed sea that exchanges water slowly with the Indian Ocean, making it........

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