Changes in zooplankton abundance and diversity after ballast water exchange in regional seas

A study of the efficiency of ballast water exchange (BWE) in regional seas was carried out to assess this management method in reducing the risk of introducing non-native species. Zooplankton samples were taken before and after exchange on ten voyages where BWE took place (North Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea and Bay of Biscay). Zooplankton abundance was always reduced after exchange, but diversity increased on eight occasions. The greatest changes occurred when the source port water was of low salinity and when exchange took place in deeper waters further from land. However, it was clear that BWE did not remove all the source port taxa and this method is unlikely to provide a consistent and effective method of managing ballast water in regional seas.     

Bacteriological examination of ballast water in Singapore Harbour by flow cytometry with FISH

In this study the concentrations of total bacteria, enterobacteria, Vibrio spp., and E. coli have been compared for ballast water samples taken from ships in Singapore Harbour. The cell concentrations were enumerated using FISH and flow cytometry. The data were highly variable, reflecting the many influences upon ballast water as it is utilized in the shipping industry. The concentration of bacterial species was determined as a proportion of the total concentration of cells for the ballast water sampled. For the ballast water sampled these concentrations were 0.67-39.55% for eubacteria, 0-2.46% for enterobacteria, 0.18-35.82% for Vibrio spp., and 0-2.46% for E. coli. Using FISH and flow cytometry, an informative determination of the bacterial hazards of ship ballast water can be made.     

Intra-coastal ballast water flux and the potential for secondary spread of non-native species on the US West Coast

Ballast water is a dominant mechanism for the interoceanic and transoceanic dispersal of aquatic non-native species (ANS), but few studies have addressed ANS transfers via smaller scale vessel movements. We analyzed ballast water reporting records and ANS occurrence data from four US West Coast port systems to examine patterns of intra-coastal ballast water transfer, and assess how ballast transfers may have influenced the secondary spread of ANS. In 2005, one third of the vessels arriving to the US West Coast originated at one of four West Coast port systems (intra-coastal traffic). These vessels transported and discharged 27% (5,987,588 MT) of the total ballast water volume discharged at these ports that year. The overlap of ANS (shared species) among port systems varied between 3% and 80%, with the largest overlap occurring between San Francisco Bay and LA/Long Beach. Our results suggest that intra-coastal ballast water needs further consideration as an invasion pathway, especially as efforts to promote short-sea shipping are being developed.     

Changes of microbial populations in a ship's ballast water and sediments on a voyage from Japan to Qatar

Colony-forming eutrophic marine microorganisms in ballast water were counted in samples taken on board in 2002 and 2003. In the ballast water in Japan, viable cell numbers were highly variable but not by more than 10(5.1) colony-forming units (CFU)ml(-1) regardless of season. Even when ballast water was discharged offshore, values varied but not by more than 10(5.0) CFUml(-1). The effectiveness of the ballast water exchange was unconfirmed, except for the February 2003 voyage. No microbial colonies were counted in the reloaded ballast water in the high seas on that voyage, which contributed to the reduction of the total number of viable cells sampled in the discharged ballast water at the Ras Laffan port in Qatar. In sediment samples, the values of 10(5.2) - 10(6.0) CFUml(-1) were estimated for all seasons in which voyages took place. The maximum of the marine Vibrio species, 110 CFUml(-1), was observed in the ballast water sample taken in July 2003. The estimated total viable cell numbers in sediments were higher than those counted in the ballast water throughout the experiments, indicating the importance of sediment management as well as ballast water management on vessels traveling from Japan.     

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis shows that bacterial communities change with mid-ocean ballast water exchange

Ships carry ballast water for better stability and to control trim. However, the discharge of ballast water near ports is known to transport invasive species from one coastal area to another. The exchange of ballast water on the high seas is supposed to reduce such invasions of exotic species. In this study, we used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to analyze the composition of the bacterial community in ballast water before and after such a mid-ocean exchange, and we also measured total bacterial counts. Our findings confirmed that the ballast water was replaced by the mid-ocean exchange, as indicated by the marked change in the composition of the bacterial community. There was also a significant decrease in bacterial abundance after the mid-ocean exchange. Finally, our findings support the incubation hypothesis, because the composition of the bacterial communities changed over time within the same ballast water.     

Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the continental shelf area of northeastern South China Sea after Typhoon Fengshen

Dilution experiments were used to investigate the phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the continental shelf area of northeastern South China Sea during 30 June and 7 July, 2008, occurring about a week after Typhoon Fengshen. We detected negative phytoplankton growth rates (−0.03 to −2.02 d⁻¹) and measured grazing rates of microzooplankton on phytoplankton in size-fractionations of 20-200 μm (1.25±0.44 d⁻¹), 3-20 μm (1.48±0.63 d⁻¹) and <3 μm (1.02±0.42 d⁻¹). Results showed significant correlations between phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates, between phytoplankton and ciliate abundance, and between the dominant phytoplankton Thalassionema nitzschioides and the dominant ciliate Helicostomella longa (p<0.05). Phytoplankton decay, due to nutrient-limited conditions occurring with the fading of upwelling and spreading of freshwater plume after Typhoon Fengshen, may account for negative phytoplankton growth rates in this study. Synergism in the specific size-selective grazing of various species, including ciliates and heterotrophic dinoflagellates, may contribute to similar grazing rate on phytoplankton in different size-fractionations, at the integrated level. Interactions between phytoplankton and microzooplankton, including grazing selectivity, top-down and bottom-up control between phytoplankton and microzooplankton may contribute to these findings. Our results indicate that under conditions of negative phytoplankton growth microzooplankton grazing may reduce energy loss from the epipelagic waters by retrieving energy from the decaying phytoplankton community.     

Marine introductions in the Southern Ocean: an unrecognised hazard to biodiversity

This study investigated the potential for transport of organisms between Hobart, Macquarie Island and the Antarctic continent by ships used in support of Antarctic science and tourism. Northward transport of plankton in ballast water is more likely than southward transport because ballast is normally loaded in the Antarctic and unloaded at the home port. Culturing of ballast water samples revealed that high-latitude hitchhikers were able to reach greater diversities when cultured at temperate thermal conditions than at typical Southern Ocean temperatures, suggesting the potential for establishment in the Tasmanian coastal environment. Several known invasive species were identified among fouling communities on the hulls of vessels that travel between Hobart and the Southern Ocean. Southward transport of hull fouling species is more likely than northward transport due to the accumulation of assemblages during the winter period spent in the home port of Hobart. This study does not prove that non-indigenous marine species have, or will be, transported and established as a consequence of Antarctic shipping but illustrates that the potential exists. Awareness of the potential risk and simple changes to operating procedures may reduce the chance of introductions in the future.     

The dilution and dispersion of ballast water discharged into Goderich Harbor

Observations are presented on dilution and dispersion rates of ballast water discharged under normal operational conditions at the semi-enclosed port of Goderich, Ontario. The ballast water was tagged with Rhodamine-WT dye and microscopic magnetically-attractive tracer particles. Maximum concentrations of dye immediately after discharge were diluted to 1-5% of initial ballast tank concentrations, and within 3 days had decreased to less than 0.1% of initial concentrations. Inside the harbor, there was 10-20% of the ballast water still present after 2 days, consistent with a flushing rate of 0.8-1.15 day⁻¹. Magnetic particles were collected up to 7.5 km outside the harbor after one day, consistent with a dilution factor of order 10⁵ outside the harbor. The results of this study are discussed in the context of ballast water discharge standards proposed by the International Maritime Organization to minimize the introduction of aquatic nonindigenous species through ships’ ballast water and sediments.     

Effect of mid-oceanic ballast water exchange on virus-like particle abundance during two trans-Pacific voyages

Ballast water is a potential source of invasive species, including viruses that target a variety of hosts. We sampled ballast during two trans-Pacific voyages and analyzed the efficacy of mid-oceanic exchange in reducing virus-like particle (VLP) abundance. Exchange did not significantly reduce virus abundance during the first voyage (P = 0.874), whereas it reduced viral abundance 3.9-fold from 1.8 × 10⁷ to 0.47 × 10⁷ VLP mL⁻¹ during the second voyage (P < 0.0001). Despite the impact of exchange during the second voyage, virus abundances were not significantly different between exchanged and unexchanged tanks upon arrival in Canada (P = 0.363) and Canadian port water samples (P = 0.502). Regressions between environmental parameters and VLP abundance uncovered negative correlations between salinity and viral abundance during one, and dissolved oxygen and viral abundance during the second voyage. In summary, ballast tanks are highly variable with respect to total virus abundance, and the efficacy of exchange requires investigation into the dynamics of specific viruses.     

A unique aspect of ballast water management requirements - The same location concept

Under certain circumstances vessels do not need to meet ballast water management requirements as stated in the International Convention for the Management and Control of Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention). Besides exceptions to ensure e.g., (a) the safety of a ship, (b) discharge of ballast water for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing pollution incidents, (c) uptake and discharge on high seas of the same ballast water, the same location concept comes into play as ballast water discharges from a ship at the same location where it was taken up is also excepted from BWM requirements. The term same location was not defined in this instrument, hence it is exposed to different interpretations (e.g., a terminal, a port, a larger area where two or more ports may be located). As the BWM Convention is an instrument with biological meaning, the authors recommend a biologically meaningful definition of the same location in this contribution.     

Management and environmental risk study of the physicochemical parameters of ballast water

Shipping is a vital industry for the global economy. Stability of ships, provided by ballast water, is a crucial factor for cargo loading and unloading processes. Ballast water treatment has practical significance in terms of environmental issues, ecosystem, and human health, because ships discharge this water into the environment before loading their cargos. This study reviews the common methods for ballast water management – exchange, heating, filtration, ultrasonic treatment, ultraviolet irradiation, chemicals, and gas supersaturation – to select the best one. This study compares water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (Co, Cr, Ni, Pb) for ballast tanks of selected ships with the recipient port environment in the Persian Gulf as a case study. The exchange of ballast water in the ocean and/or its treatment on board to prevent inadvertent effects on the environment's physicochemical conditions is related to vessel characteristics, legislation, and the environmental condition. Ecological risk study showed that the salt content in ballast water is close to that of seawater, but the values of Cr (2.1 mg/l) and Ni (0.029 mg/l) in ballast water are higher than those in seawater (1 and 0.004 mg/l, respectively).     

Ship board testing of a deoxygenation ballast water treatment

A ship board trial of a deoxygenation method for treating ballast water was carried out during a voyage from Southampton (United Kingdom) to Manzanillo (Panama). A nutrient solution added to two ballast tanks encouraged bacterial growth, resulting in a gradual change to an anoxic environment. Samples were taken from two treated tanks and two untreated tanks to assess changes in the abundance and viability of zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacteria. The work was carried out before the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standard was agreed so only a broad indication of whether the results achieved the standard was given. For the zooplankton, the standard would have been achieved within 5 or 7 days but the phytoplankton results were inconclusive. The biological efficacy was the result of the combination of several factors, including the treatment, pump damage and an increase in the water temperature during the voyage.     

Ingestion of bacteria in a eutrophic subtropical reservoir pond with food web mainly controlled by zooplankton grazing

This study evaluated the zooplanktonic bacterivory at a eutrophic subtropical reservoir pond by the quantification of the bacterial grazing and clearance rates of the protozooplanktonic (ciliates and nanoplankton) and metazooplanktonic (rotifers, cladocerans and copepods) populations during one year period. For this purpose, in situ experiments with fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB) were carried out every two months on the sub-surface of the reservoir pond. Considering the individual grazing and clearance rates, the metazooplanktonic organisms showed the highest consumption of bacteria. However, in terms of population and considering all the zooplanktonic community, the heterotrophic nanoplanktonic organisms (HNP) accounted for 73% of the total bacteria ingested, being the most important bacterial consumers in the reservoir, due to their high population densities. Among them, the HNP smaller than 5 μm showed the highest population grazing rates, also due to their high abundance. These organisms were the main responsible for bacteria regulation by grazing in the reservoir. Among the metazooplanktonic organisms, the highest ingestion of bacteria occurred by the copepods (10%) during the wet season, and by the rotifers (22%) during the dry season. Thus, the metazooplanktonic population grazing rates were significantly different over the year, between the cold/dry and hot/rainy season. These seasonal differences were not observed in the density and biomass of picoplankton nor in the population grazing rates of ciliates and HNP. Nevertheless, the protozoa (ciliates and HNP) were directly responsible for most of the predation on bacteria, while the metazooplanktonic populations were indirectly responsible for it by the consumption of protozoa in a cascading effect.     

Ballast water: A threat to the Amazon Basin

Ballast water exchange (BWE) is the most efficient measure to control the invasion of exotic species from ships. This procedure is being used for merchant ships in national and international voyages. The ballast water (BW) salinity is the main parameter to evaluate the efficacy of the mid-ocean ballast water exchange. The vessels must report to the Port State Control (PSC), via ballast water report (BWR), where and how the mid-ocean BWE was performed. This measure allows the PSC to analyze this information before the ship arrives at the port, and to decide whether or not it should berth.Ship BW reporting forms were collected from the Captaincy of Santana and some ships were visited near the Port of Santana, located in Macapá (Amazon River), to evaluate the BW quality onboard. We evaluated data submitted in these BWR forms and concluded that the BWE efficacy might be compromised, because data contained in these BWR indicate that some ships did not change their BW. We found mistakes in filling the BWR forms and lack of information. Moreover, these ships had discharged BW with high level of salinity, Escherichia coli and total coliforms into the Amazon River. We concluded that the authorities of the Amazon Region need to develop more efficient proceedings to evaluate the ballast water reporting forms and BW quality, as there is potential risk of future invasion of exotic species in Brazilian ports.     

Vessel traffic patterns in the Port of Kaohsiung and the management implications for preventing the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species

Data on shipping traffic in one of the busiest seaports in the world, the Port of Kaohsiung, were analyzed to evaluate the implications for ballast water management. Results show that 67% of the arriving vessels were registered to a flag of convenience, which typically have a lower degree of environmental records. The top five donor countries historically suffer from harmful algal bloom problems. The short journey and busy trading between these countries and Taiwan lead to a higher risk of inoculation. In addition, only 1.4% of all vessels visited more than once every year during the 9-year span, indicating that the port authority encounters many new vessels each year. These findings could influence the design and application of ballast water management strategies as well as highlight the challenges in their implementation. We suggest that an analysis of vessel traffic patterns should be coupled with other useful vessel information to make risk assessment successful.     

Domestic and international arrivals of NOBOB (no ballast on board) vessels to lower Chesapeake Bay

In examining ship-mediated biological invasions, most research and treatment development has focused on ballast water. Another vector that has gained attention recently is vessels arriving in a "no ballast on board" (NOBOB) condition. Such ships retain relatively small, unpumpable volumes of water and sediment in their ballast tanks. Nonetheless, these unpumpable portions can represent great ecological risk. This scenario is relevant in the Great Lakes, which have experienced a dramatic series of introductions, despite most vessels arriving there as NOBOBs since 1994. We examined shipping patterns of NOBOBs arriving to lower Chesapeake Bay to begin evaluating their risk of biopollution. Only 14% of ships arrive as NOBOBs, and of those, 17% depart to another port in the upper bay. Most NOBOBs arrive from or leave for other US ports; proximate trans-Atlantic crossings are few. Given the nature of their operations, we conclude NOBOBs may represent a risk for aquatic nuisance species invasions to Chesapeake Bay.     

Effects of sonication and advanced chemical oxidants on the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta and cysts, larvae and adults of the brine shrimp Artemia salina: a prospective treatment to eradicate invasive organisms from ballast water

Uptake and release of ship-borne ballast water is a major factor contributing to introductions of aquatic phytoplankton and invasive macroinvertebrates. Some invasive unicellular algae can cause harmful algal blooms and produce toxins that build up in food chains. Moreover, to date, few studies have compared the efficacy of ballast water treatments against different life history phases of aquatic macroinvertebrates. In the present study, the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta, and three discrete life history phases of the brine shrimp Artemia salina, were independently used as model organisms to study the efficacy of sonication as well as the advanced oxidants, hydrogen peroxide and ozone, as potential ballast water treatments. Algal cells and brine shrimp cysts, nauplii, and adults were subjected to individual and combined treatments of sonication and advanced oxidants. Combined rather than individual treatments consistently yielded the highest levels of mortality in algal cells (100% over a 2 min exposure) and in brine shrimp (100% and 95% for larvae and adults, respectively, over a 2 min exposure). In contrast, mortality levels in brine shrimp cysts (66% over 2 min; increased to 92% over a 20 min exposure) were moderately high but consistently lower than that detected for larval or adult shrimp. Our results indicate that a combination of sonication and advanced chemical oxidants may be a promising method to eradicate aquatic unicellular algae and macroinvertebrates in ballast water.     

Potential risk of harmful algae transport by ballast waters: the case of Bilbao Harbour

Ballast water exchange was measured for the first time in Bilbao Harbour, one of the most active of northern Spain. Between 1997 and 2006, 41,900,980.34 ballast water tn were loaded and 13,272,709 tn were discharged. Bilbao Harbour appears to be mainly a source of ballast water, 90% of which would be discharged in European harbours. We estimated that vessels carrying liquid and solid bulk have higher probabilities of exporting ballast water, whereas those with liquid bulk and containers are more likely to introduce it. From 30 potentially harmful phytoplankton species identified to date near harbour facilities, there would be a high risk of exporting at least Alexandrium minutum, Dinophysis sp., Heterosigma akashiwo, Karlodinium sp., Ostreopsis cf. siamensis, Pfiesteria-like and Prorocentrum minimum. Invasion risk by ballast water was tested by analyzing the response of six strains of H. akashiwo from different geographic areas to varying salinity. Results show that successful growth of foreign strains would be possible.     

Low salinity residual ballast discharge and exotic species introductions to the North American Great Lakes

Exotic species introductions to the North American Great Lakes have continued even though ballast water management strategies were implemented in the early 1990s. Overseas vessels that arrive with little or no exchangeable ballast on board have been suspected to be an important source for discharging low salinity ballast containing low salinity tolerant organisms in this region. Residual ballast averaged 18.1+/-13.4 per thousand salinity among 62 samples taken primarily from bottom tanks on 26 vessels that entered the Great Lakes in 1999 and 2000. Sampling of 2-4 tanks each on nine vessels indicated all carried at least one tank of residual ballast of 相似文献   

Stress distribution from railway track over geogrid reinforced ballast underlain by clay

Railway ballast forms a major component of a conventional rail track and is used to distribute the load to the subgrade, providing a smooth running surface for trains. It plays a significant role in providing support for the rail track base and distributing the load to the weaker layer underneath. Ballast also helps with drainage, which is an important factor for any type of transportation structure, including railroads. Over time, ballast progressively deforms and degrades under dynamic loading and loses its strength. In this study, extensive laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of load amplitude, geogrid position, and number of geogrid layers, thickness of ballast layer and clay stiffness on the behavior of the reinforced ballast layer and induced strains in a geogrid. A half full-scale railway was constructed for carrying out the tests, which consisted of two rails 800 mm in length with three wooden sleepers(900 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm). Three ballast thicknesses of 200, 300 and 400 mm were used in the tests. The ballast was overlying 500 mm thickness clay in two states, soft and stiff. The tests were carried out with and without geogrid reinforcement; the tests were performed in a well-tied steel box of 1.5 m length ×1 m width ×1 m height. Laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the response of the ballast and the clay layers where the ballast was reinforced by a geogrid. Settlement in ballast and clay, soil pressure and pore water pressure induced in the clay were measured in reinforced and unreinforced ballast cases. It was concluded that the amount of settlement increased as the simulated train load amplitude increased, and there was a sharp increase in settlement up to cycle 500. After that, there was a gradual increase that leveled out between, 2500 to 4500 cycles depending on the frequency used. There was a slight increase in the induced settlement when the load amplitude increased from 0.5 to 1 ton but it was higher when the load amplitude increased to 2 tons. The increased amount in settlement depended on the existence of the geogrid and other parameters studied. The transmitted average vertical stress for ballast thicknesses of 30 cm and 40 cm increased as the load amplitude increased, regardless of the ballast reinforcement for both soft and stiff clay. The position of the geogrid had no significant effect on the transmitted stresses. The value of the soil pressure and pore water pressure on ballast thicknesses of 20 cm was higher than for 30 cm and 40 cm thicknesses. This meant that the ballast attenuated the induced waves. The soil pressure and pore water pressure for reinforced and unreinforced ballast was higher in stiff clay than in soft clay.