A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world’s largest coral reefs, desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water.
They’re all at risk from large amounts of fertilizer and oil spilled into the Red Sea by the sinking of a cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Officials on Saturday said the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged vessel reportedly carrying 22,000 tonnes of toxic fertilizer, sank after taking on water in the Feb. 18 attack. Even before plunging to the ocean’s depths, the vessel had been leaking heavy fuel that triggered a 30-kilometre oil slick through the waterway, which is critical for cargo and energy shipments
