Of passengers have been stranded on a cruise ship off the australian coast after a potentially harmful growth was found on its hull. the viking orion was involved, and the authorities discovered “biofoul” – an accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals – which can allow invasive species to be imported into non-native habitats. this happened on friday, when the ship was denied permission to dock in adelaide and subsequently denied permission to dock in christchurch, dunedin, and hobart. professional divers were engaged directly by the vessel line/agent to clean the hull while at anchor outside australian waters. the growth was found on the ship’s hull and it had to be cleaned to avoid “harmful marine organisms being transported” into australian waters. the biofoul was a standard marine growth, and the ship’s captain apologized to the passengers for the missed stops on the itinerary.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64138743?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
