Oil spills can cause immediate deaths of marine animals and other organisms, for example by physically trapping turtles, smothering the feathers of seabirds or damaging the gills of fish.

They can also cause longer-lasting damage, Prof Widdicombe said, if species remain exposed to toxic compounds from the oil which could impact their ability to reproduce.

Researchers have cautioned the environmental impact at this stage is very uncertain, as it depends on factors including the volume and type of oil spilled, how quickly it evaporates or breaks down and the effectiveness of the clean-up operation.

But the spill does extend towards Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a globally recognised Key Biodiversity Area containing habitats like corals, seagrasses and saltmarshes, as well as species including green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish.

The proximity of the spill to this area is the “most concerning environmental angle”, according to Eoghan Darbyshire, a scientist at the Conflict and Environment Observatory.