Modeling ships' ballast water as invasion threats to the Great Lakes

The spread of nonindigenous species (NIS) in aquatic ecosystems provides an opportunity to develop new perspectives on the invasion process. In this paper we review existing invasion models, most of which were developed to describe invasions of terrestrial habitats, and propose an alternative that explores long-distance invasions mediated by discharge of contaminated ballast water by ships inbound to the Great Lakes. Based on current knowledge of shipping traffic to the Great Lakes, our model predicts that mid-ocean exchange of ballast water lowers propagule delivery by approximately three to four orders of magnitude relative to unexchanged ballast water. Propagule pressure of individual ships that enter the Great Lakes loaded with cargo and that declare "no ballast on board" (NOBOB) is typically one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of vessels that exchange ballast. Because NOBOB vessels dominate (~90%) inbound traffic into the Great Lakes, these vessels collectively appear to pose the greatest risk of new introductions, even though their individual risks are low.

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Ballast-mediated animal introductions in the Laurentian Great Lakes: retrospective and prospective analyses

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f03-053 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 60 (6) ◽

pp. 740-756 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

Igor A Grigorovich ◽

Robert I Colautti ◽

Edward L Mills ◽

Kristen Holeck ◽

Albert G Ballert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Ballast Water ◽

Assessment Model ◽

Laurentian Great Lakes ◽

Traffic Patterns ◽

Physicochemical Factors ◽

Ballast Tanks ◽

Shipping Traffic ◽

High Representation ◽

Prospective Analyses

Since completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, at least 43 nonindigenous species (NIS) of animals and protists have established in the Laurentian Great Lakes, of which ~67% were attributed to discharge of ballast water from commercial ships. Twenty-three NIS were first discovered in four "hotspot" areas with a high representation of NIS, most notably the Lake Huron Lake Erie corridor. Despite implementation of the voluntary (1989, Canada) and mandatory (1993, U.S.A.) ballast water exchange (BWE) regulations, NIS were discovered at a higher rate during the 1990s than in the preceding three decades. Here we integrate knowledge of species' invasion histories, shipping traffic patterns, and physicochemical factors that constrain species' survivorship during ballast-mediated transfer to assess the risk of future introductions to the Great Lakes. Our risk-assessment model identified 26 high-risk species that are likely to survive intercontinental transfer in ballast tanks. Of these, 10 species have already invaded the Great Lakes. An additional 37 lower-risk species, of which six have already invaded, show some but not all attributes needed for successful introduction under current BWE management. Our model indicates that the Great Lakes remain vulnerable to ship-mediated NIS invasions.

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Transport of the Harmful Bloom Alga Aureococcus anophagefferens by Oceangoing Ships and Coastal Boats

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.70.11.6495-6500.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 70 (11) ◽

pp. 6495-6500 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Martina A. Doblin ◽

Linda C. Popels ◽

Kathryn J. Coyne ◽

David A. Hutchins ◽

S. Craig Cary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Ballast Water ◽

Harmful Algal Bloom ◽

Brown Tide ◽

Phytoplankton Species ◽

Aureococcus Anophagefferens ◽

Long Distance ◽

Active Growth ◽

Ballast Tank ◽

Long Distance Transport

ABSTRACT It is well established that cyst-forming phytoplankton species are transported in ships' ballast tanks. However, there is increasing evidence that other phytoplankton species which do not encyst are also capable of surviving ballast transit. These species have alternative modes of nutrition (hetero- or mixotrophy) and/or are able to survive long-term darkness. In our studies of no-ballast-on-board vessels arriving in the Great Lakes, we tested for the presence of the harmful algal bloom species Aureococcus anophagefferens (brown tide) in residual (i.e., unpumpable) ballast water using methods based on the PCR. During 2001, the brown tide organism was detected in 7 of 18 ballast water tanks in commercial ships following transit from foreign ports. Furthermore, it was detected after 10 days of ballast tank confinement during a vessel transit in the Great Lakes, a significant result given the large disparity between the salinity tolerance for active growth of Aureococcus (>22 ppt) and the low salinity of the residual ballast water (∼2 ppt). We also investigated the potential for smaller, recreational vessels to transport and distribute Aureococcus. During the summer of 2002, 11 trailered boats from the inland bays of Delaware and coastal bays of Maryland were sampled. Brown tide was detected in the bilge water in the bottoms of eight boats, as well as in one live-well sample. Commercial ships and small recreational boats are therefore implicated as potential vectors for long-distance transport and local-scale dispersal of Aureococcus.

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The Chlorination of Ballast Water on Great Lakes Vessels

Public Health Reports (1896-1970) ◽

10.2307/4580331 ◽

1932 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 256 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. H. Ferguson

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Ballast Water

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Design of a risk assessment methodology for the introduction of invasive species from ship ballast waters

Management of Environmental Quality An International Journal ◽

10.1108/meq-02-2015-0023 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 474-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Abderrahmane Bouda ◽

Nour El Islam Bachari ◽

Lylia Bahmed ◽

Ryad Boubenia

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Invasive Species ◽

Ballast Water ◽

Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽

Content Type ◽

International Convention ◽

Environmental Similarity ◽

Process Factors ◽

Shipping Traffic ◽

The Impact

Purpose – Ballast water of merchant ship is a source of introduction of invasive species around the globe. The purpose of this paper is to present a quantitative risk assessment applied to a model port, the Port of Arzew in Algeria, and based on an analysis of this port’s shipping traffic. Design/methodology/approach – The risk assessment for introduction of invasive species is interpreted in the form of a probabilistic process, with a combination of two probabilities. The first probability is related to the ability of a species to arrive to the destination (recipient port), depending on the quantity of water ballast discharged and the duration of voyage. The second one is based on the species ability to survive in their new environment, which depends on the environmental similarity between donor port and Arzew port. Findings – This assessment’s outcome consists on a classification of scenarios regarding their acceptability. Consequently, it helped to classify donor ports according to a risk scale, from low risk to high-risk donor ports. Research limitations/implications – The phenomenon of invasion of aquatic species is a complex process. Factors such as adaptation and tolerance of species, the attendance or absence of predators, were not taken into account in this study. Practical implications – This study could be used by the maritime administration as a decision-making tool regarding the issue of exemptions under the IMO International Convention on the Management of Ballast Water and Sediments 2004. Originality/value – This is one of the first known studies in Algeria and dealing with ballast water management. The results of this assessment provide useful information to policy makers, in order to develop a national strategy to reduce the impact of shipping pollution on the marine environment.

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Considerations in the Design of the Primary Treatment for Ballast Systems

Marine Technology and SNAME News ◽

10.5957/mt1.2003.40.1.49 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 40 (01) ◽

pp. 49-60

Author(s):

Michael G. Parsons

Keyword(s):

Water Treatment ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Ballast Water ◽

Primary Treatment ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Secondary Treatment ◽

Bulk Carrier ◽

Ballast Water Treatment ◽

Mechanical Separation ◽

Hierarchy Process

Investigations are currently underway to establish effective primary and secondary ballast water treatment methods to minimize the potential for the introduction of additional nonindigenous aquatic species into the Great Lakes and other U.S. coastal waters. This treatment could be used in place of mid-ocean ballast exchange currently required by the U.S. Coast Guard for all vessels entering the Great Lakes in ballast from beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Primary and secondary treatment could provide environmental protection for both Ballast On Board (BOB) vessels, which are required to perform mid-ocean ballast exchange before entering the Great Lakes, and No Ballast On Board (NOBOB) vessels, which are currently exempt from any ballast exchange requirements. Primary treatment using some form of mechanical separation to 100 urn or 50 um followed by secondary treatment using 254 nm UV irradiation or some form of chemical treatment are currently leading candidates. Over the past six years, the Great Lakes Ballast Technology Demonstration Project (GLBTDP) has undertaken the full-scale evaluation of 340 m3/h (1500 U.S. gpm) ballast water mechanical separation using an automatic backwashing screen filter, hydrocyclone, and automatic backwashing disk filter. This experience provides the basis for the investigation of various ballast system design issues that must be considered in the selection and design of the primary ballast water treatment. This investigation is based upon the ballast system of a typical Seaway size bulk carrier using port and starboard 2000 m3/h (8800 U.S. gpm) main ballast pumps. A discrete multicriterion optimization tradeoff study using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is also presented to illustrate a rational method for determining the best choice for primary ballast water treatment for such a Seaway size bulk carrier.

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‘Scows, and barges, or other vessels of box model’: Comparative capital investment in the sailing scows of the Great Lakes of North America and in New Zealand

International Journal of Maritime History ◽

10.1177/0843871417746290 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 89-105

Author(s):

Jay C. Martin

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

North America ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Capital Investment ◽

Open Water ◽

Long Distance ◽

American Frontier ◽

International Context ◽

The North ◽

Hull Design

Boxy and with ‘unseaworthy form’, the sailing scow was not the most aesthetically pleasing of watercraft. Yet the durable hull design based upon European predecessors found a new home in North America where it proliferated on the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific and Great Lakes coasts because of its practicality for largely unimproved waterways. Scows were widely used on the Great Lakes in the nineteenth century, moving beyond shallow waters and gaining a reputation for reliability in long-distance trade. Late in the century, the technology arrived in New Zealand, where it prospered in a niche market that combined open water voyages and shallow river, port, or beach loading and unloading. The Great Lakes scows presented an alternative for entry into ship ownership on the North American frontier. The development of the New Zealand scow confirmed these findings comparatively in an international context during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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Plant invasions: merging the concepts of species invasiveness and community invasibility

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment ◽

10.1191/0309133306pp490pr ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 409-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 624

Author(s):

David M. Richardson ◽

Petr Pyšek

Keyword(s):

Biotic Resistance ◽

Propagule Pressure ◽

Plant Invasions ◽

Invasion Ecology ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Long Distance ◽

Fluctuating Resources ◽

Species Invasiveness ◽

Tens Rule ◽

New Research

This paper considers key issues in plant invasion ecology, where findings published since 1990 have significantly improved our understanding of many aspects of invasions. The review focuses on vascular plants invading natural and semi-natural ecosystems, and on fundamental ecological issues relating to species invasiveness and community invasibility. Three big questions addressed by the SCOPE programme in the 1980s (which species invade; which habitats are invaded; and how can we manage invasions?) still underpin most work in invasion ecology. Some organizing and unifying themes in the field are organism-focused and relate to species invasiveness (the tens rule; the concept of residence time; taxonomic patterns and Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis; issues of phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolutionary change, including evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis; the role of long-distance dispersal). Others are ecosystem-centred and deal with determinants of the invasibility of communities, habitats and regions (levels of invasion, invasibility and propagule pressure; the biotic resistance hypothesis and the links between diversity and invasibility; synergisms, mutualisms, and invasional meltdown). Some theories have taken an overarching approach to plant invasions by integrating the concepts of species invasiveness and community invasibility (a theory of seed plant invasiveness; fluctuating resources theory of invasibility). Concepts, hypotheses and theories reviewed here can be linked to the naturalization-invasion continuum concept, which relates invasion processes with a sequence of environmental and biotic barriers that an introduced species must negotiate to become casual, naturalized and invasive. New research tools and improved research links between invasion ecology and succession ecology, community ecology, conservation biology and weed science, respectively, have strengthened the conceptual pillars of invasion ecology.

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EVALUATING AN INVASIVE SPECIES POLICY: BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE IN THE GREAT LAKES

Ecological Applications ◽

10.1890/06-0190 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 655-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Christopher Costello ◽

John M. Drake ◽

David M. Lodge

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Ballast Water ◽

Water Exchange ◽

Invasive Species Policy

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Great Plains Ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum) in the lower Great Lakes region and a new record for New York State

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v129i2.1700 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 129 (2) ◽

pp. 183

Author(s):

Daniel F. Brunton

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Great Plains ◽

New Records ◽

New York State ◽

The United States ◽

Great Lakes Region ◽

Long Distance ◽

York State ◽

Glacial Relict

Six populations of Great Plains Ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum Sheviak) have recently been discovered in three locations east of the lower Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. The possible occurrence of S. cernua × magnicamporum hybrids was detected at one New York site. These discoveries are from both natural alvar and disturbed meadow and shore sites. The new records suggest that S. magnicamporum occurs more widely than was suspected previously, its presence perhaps masked by its similarity to the common S. cernua (L.) Richard. Eastern occurrences may represent a combination of post-glacial relict populations, responses to climate change, and the results of long-distance dispersal events. These range extensions constitute the most easterly known populations of S. magnicamporum in North America. They also represent new records for New York State (including Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties) and for the City of Ottawa in Ontario.

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