Vlorë shipwreck becomes habitat for 151 marine species

A World War II hospital ship, the ‘Pio’, which sank in 1941 near the coast of Vlorë, Albania, has transformed into a thriving underwater ecosystem. Researchers have identified 151 different species living within and around the wreckage.

Italian researchers conducted 32 dives and utilized high-resolution sonar and 3D photography between 2022 and 2024 to study the site. The findings, published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability’, reveal that the 135-meter-long vessel now acts as an artificial reef. More than 80 percent of the ship's surface is colonized by sponges, tunicates, shellfish, and other invertebrates.

Notably, the site provides a habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the rarest and most endangered mammals in the Mediterranean. The presence of this species highlights the ecological importance of the shipwreck and underscores the need for the protection of this marine habitat.