RESEARCH CHOPPY WATERS The proliferation of lithium-ion batteries and the products they power, from vaping devices to electric vehicles, are creating new hazards for the global marine transport industry. The research community is stepping in to help ship owners and other stakeholders navigate this emerging risk. BY VICTORIA HUTCHISON AND MATTHEW BARKER An aircraft surveys the stricken Felicity Ace, burning and adrift in the Atlantic Ocean in 2022. The cargo ship was carrying more than 4,000 vehicles, including electric vehicles, when it caught fire and eventually sank, resulting in a loss of more than $400 million. The crew was rescued.