What can be done to prevent species introductions from ballast water and vessel fouling?
State, federal, and international regulations are in place to attempt to limit the introduction of new species from ballast water release (see the Ballast Management: Laws and Regulations—> section in this website). These laws and regulations require ships to exchange their coastal ballast water with mid-ocean ballast water at some point during their trip, or if ballast exchange is not possible during a voyage, ships may hold on to (retain) their ballast water when they enter a port. In general, organisms found in coastal zones, near ports, are unable to survive in the harsh environment of the open ocean and vice versa. Thus when ships exchange their coastal ballast water with mid-ocean ballast water, the coastal organisms should be flushed out and exchanged by mid-ocean organisms. These mid-ocean organisms are then unable to survive when they are released into coastal habitats when a vessel reaches its next port of call. While this system of exchange can be very effective, it is not
Related Questions
- If a vessel is a commercial fishing vessel of any size or other non-recreational vessel less than 79 feet in length and has ballast water discharges, must an NOI be submitted?
- What is being done to control the entry of aquatic nuisance species from ballast water into the Great Lakes?
- What are the Impacts of Species Introduced Through Ballast Water?
