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Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New study reveals rare seal and predatory fish invading the Adriatic

2026-09-07 18:35:26Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

An Italian ship sunk in the Gulf of Vlora during World War II has been transformed, 85 years later, into an extraordinary underwater ecosystem. Over 80 percent of its surface is covered in marine organisms, 28 species of fish have been identified around the wreck, while cameras have recorded one of the most endangered mammals in the Mediterranean, as well as an invasive species that is spreading towards the northern Adriatic.

The findings are part of a study published on July 27 in the scientific journal Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, and this week they received international attention after Live Science and BBC Wildlife/Discover Wildlife dedicated special materials to the shipwreck in Albania.

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

It is the Italian hospital ship “Po”, 134.98 meters long, which sank on March 14, 1941 during the Greco-Italian War after being hit by an aerial torpedo fired by a British Swordfish aircraft. Today, the wreck is located about 1.2 kilometers off the coast of Radhima, at a depth of 33–37 meters.

For two years, from June 2022 to September 2024, researchers conducted a special monitoring of the ship. They carried out scientific dives, filming with underwater ROV vehicles, three-dimensional modeling of the wreck, sediment analysis, and recordings of organisms living on and around it.

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

The result is a photograph of a ship that has practically ceased to be just a war relic.

More than 80 percent of the wreck's hard surface is colonized by marine organisms. The researchers identified 54 taxa on the surface of the ship, including sponges, mollusks, corals, and other organisms, and recorded 28 species of fish from 14 families around it. Masses of cephalopod eggs were also found, suggesting that the structure may have served as a breeding ground.

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

But the most beautiful surprise came from one of the rarest animals in the Mediterranean.

On August 12, 2023, cameras recorded a Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) resting inside the protected spaces of the ship's structure. According to the study, it was the first confirmed recording of this species in the Bay of Vlora since 1996. The monk seal is classified as a species of exceptional conservation importance and the authors hypothesize that the wreck may occasionally be used by it as a resting, feeding or hunting site.

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

But "Yes" has also attracted a much more problematic resident.

Researchers confirmed the presence of Pterois miles, also known as the lionfish or devil firefish, a tropical predator non-native to the Adriatic. Up to seven individuals were seen at a time during the observations, making this one of the northernmost records of this species in the Adriatic.

The lionfish is native to the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, but has spread to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. Warming waters are favoring the northward expansion of thermophilic species, and researchers raise concerns that artificial structures such as sunken ships could act as staging points where these species find refuge and continue their spread.

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

Biologist Simone Modugno, a co-author of the study, told Live Science that what worries him is not so much the appearance of these organisms, but the speed at which the changes are happening. He says that for at least three years he has observed a steady increase in the Pterois miles fish along the Albanian coast, alongside other invasive species.

This makes the wreck of the "Po" an ecological paradox: the same ship that can offer shelter to one of the Mediterranean's rarest mammals can also help spread alien species.

The authors of the study are Simone Modugno, Rachele Castro, Igli Pustina, Genti Kromidha, Zamir Dedej and Artur Meçollari, with representation from Italian and Albanian institutions and organizations, including the Albanian Diving Federation and the Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania (INCA).

Hospital ship sunk in Vlora in 1941 turns into underwater "city"/ New

For researchers, the ship "Po" is no longer just a metal graveyard from World War II. It has become a natural laboratory, where one can see in real time how climate change, invasive species and habitat loss are transforming the Mediterranean.

A ship sunk by war in 1941, 85 years later is telling a completely different story: that of the new battle taking place under the waters of Vlora.

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