Fisheries Research Services
Aquatic Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water
0.01 mm
Dinoflagellate cysts found in ballast tank sediments.
Introduction
Scientists know that many different mechanisms for transferring aquatic organisms to new areas exist. These include
transfers of fish or shellfish to new areas for aquaculture,
accidental escapes of non-indigenous species, and shipping operations. Ships can act as vectors for the transfer
of aquatic organisms. Organisms may be transported in
ships’ ballast, in the ballast water or in the ballast tank
sediments, as hull fouling, in the sea chest, on the anchor
and in chain lockers.
Until around 1850, ships used solid material as ballast,
but by the mid-1870s the use of water as ballast had
become common practice. Ships use ballast water to
adjust their stability and trim when sailing ‘light ship’, i.e.
without cargo, or when partially laden. The use of ballast
water is important for both maritime safety and the
economic operation of vessels, and is therefore essential
for the safe and cost-effective operation of the modern
shipping industry.
Whilst convenient and efficient for shipping, ballast water
can present hazards to the aquatic environment. These
include the accidental introduction of non-indigenous
species to areas where ballast is discharged. One of the
earliest reports of an introduction attributed to ballast
water discharge was the large tropical planktonic diatom
Odontella sinensis which appeared in the North Sea at
the beginning of the 20th century.
Scientists estimate that more than 3,000 species of flora
and fauna are in transit every day in ships’ ballast water.
It is not possible to predict accurately the times and
locations in which a new species will be introduced. As
a result of both the historic and more recent cases, current
awareness of the transport of aquatic organisms in ballast
water and sediments has greatly increased. Many
countries, including Scotland, are now researching these
issues and increasing monitoring effort.
Impacts of Non-indigenous Species
In recent times ballast water discharges are thought to
have introduced non-indigenous species leading to serious
consequences in their new areas. Examples include the
introduction of a fouling organism, the zebra mussel
(Dreissina polymorpha) from Europe to the Great Lakes
of North America, and the transport of toxic dinoflagellates,
associated with shellfish toxicity, from Asia to Australia.
Whilst many introduced species may not become
established in their new environment, or may be harmless,
others can have detrimental effects. For example:
•
non-indigenous species can compete with native
species for food, habitat and other resources;
•
invasive species may proliferate and have a direct
impact on marine resources and amenities;
Fisheries Research Services is an agency of the Scottish Executive
FRS Marine Laboratory PO Box 101 375 Victoria Road Aberdeen
tel +44 (0)1224 876544 fax +44 (0)1224 295511
[email protected] http://www.frs-scotland.gov.uk
AB11 9DB
UK
Fisheries Research Services
to exchange ballast water in waters 200 metres in
depth and 200 nautical miles away from land. In some
circumstances for example, during bad weather,
exchange can be carried out closer to land (50 nautical
miles).
Although in time all ships will have to achieve the discharge
standard, there will still be a period of time when some
vessels will not be required to meet either standard. This
will be the case for the UK shipping which is characterised
by short coastal journeys from continental Europe. These
routes do not meet the depth and distance criteria outlined
in the Convention for exchange. Other vessels will have
a longer period of time to achieve the discharge standard
owing to their size and age. There is therefore still a need
to manage ballast water in areas such as the North Sea
in order to reduce the risk of introducing non-native species
and scientists at Fisheries Research Services (FRS) are
involved in developing such management plans.
FRS Ballast Water Research
FRS has carried out ballast water related research for over
10 years which has included a number of projects:
•
public health may be affected when pathogenic or
toxin producing organisms, for example toxic
dinoflagellates, are involved.
Ballast Water Convention
In response to the problems caused by ballast water
discharges the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
adopted a Ballast Water Convention in 2004. The
Convention contains a ballast water standard that is
divided into two parts:
• A discharge standard will come into force between
2009 and 2016 depending on the type, size and age
of the ship. In order to achieve the standard, ships
are likely to have to install equipment to treat the
ballast water and the challenge is to find a method
that is universally effective and acceptable to both
the shipping industry and those involved in
environmental management.
•
During the interim period, as the standard comes into
force, there will be an additional requirement for ships
•
A questionnaire study to assess how much ballast
water was discharged into Scottish waters;
•
Sampling the ballast tanks of ships arriving in Scotland
to investigate the planktonic organisms being
discharged into Scottish waters;
•
A large-scale study of ballast water exchange in
European regional seas to assess whether this was
an effective method in these waters;
•
FRS was also a partner in an EU-funded project known
as MARTOB (On Board Treatment of Ballast Water
(Technologies Development and Applications) and
Application of Low-sulphur Marine Fuel). MARTOB
carried out research into different methods of treating
ballast water.
The findings from these projects are used to advise the
Scottish Executive Environmental and Rural Affairs
Department (SEERAD) and other Government departments
involved in devising UK policy on ballast water
management. Future work at FRS will include developing
a ballast water strategy for north west Europe and
collaboration on an international sampling programme.
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Fisheries Research Services is an agency of the Scottish Executive
FRS Marine Laboratory PO Box 101 375 Victoria Road Aberdeen
AB11 9DB
UK
tel +44 (0)1224 876544 fax +44 (0)1224 295511
[email protected] http://www.frs-scotland.gov.uk
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