Transcript Aquatic Invasive Species and Ballast Water

Aquatic Invasive Species
and Ballast Water
Management
Nicole A. Dobroski
Marine Invasive Species Program
California State Lands Commission
What are AIS?
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Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are organisms
transported by human activities to a region
where they did not occur historically and have
established reproducing populations in the wild.
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Also known as invasive,
exotic, alien, introduced,
aquatic nuisance species (ANS),
nonindigenous species (NIS),
non-native
Additional Facts
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Non-native species are considered the second greatest
threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction
Many non-native species are capable of causing
significant ecological, economic or human health impacts
In the marine environment, the rate of new introductions
has increased exponentially during the last 200 years
Example: Chinese Mitten Crab
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Eriocheir sinensis
Native to China and
Korea, introduced
populations in SF Bay
 Burrows into earthen
levees and undermines
levee integrity
 Clogs water pumping
facilities, $1 million spent
in 2000-2001 to remove
crabs
 Carrier of parasitic lung
fluke
Example: Overbite Clam
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Corbula amurensis
Detected in SF Bay in
1986
Native to Asia
Very high feeding/filtration
rate
Decline in copepod
species associated with
spread of clam, may be
associated with decline of
Delta smelt
How do they get here?
 Many
mechanisms (vectors) capable of
transporting AIS around the world
 Aquaculture, live seafood shipments, bait,
pet store trade, intentional release
 Commercial ships responsible for up to
80% of introductions in coastal habitats

Includes ballast water and vessel fouling
Ballast Water
Necessary to maintain
the trim and stability of
oceangoing vessels
Ballast Water and AIS
 Species
are introduced with ballast water
discharge in recipient regions
Ballast Water and AIS
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Approximately 7000 species transported around the
world each day in ballast water of ships
Volume of global trade is increasing = more ballast water
(and species) in movement
Speed of global trade is increasing = more species
survive transit
Examples of species introduced to SF Bay as a result of
ballast water discharge:
Tridentiger barbatus
Palaemon macrodactylus
Philine auriformis
Vessel Fouling

Community of
organisms that attach
or associate with
submerged portions
of structures
 On vessels, highest
density in “niche”
areas: sea chests,
around rudder, dry
dock strips
Fouling and AIS
 Species
introduced when organisms
fall/drop off structures or spawn
(reproduce)
How do we manage AIS?
Prevention – Best line of defense, vector
regulation/management
 Eradication – Costly and often
impossible, over $6 million to
eradicate Caulerpa (algae) from
two small southern CA
embayments
 Species management once established – restrict
local movement, control populations in sensitive
habitats if possible
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International Regulations
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International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and
Sediments.
Adopted by IMO in February 2004
Becomes effective one year after ratification by
30 countries representing 35% of world shipping
tonnage.
Establishes performance standards for ballast
water discharge.
As of September 2007, 10 countries
representing 3.42% of world shipping tonnage
have signed convention.
Federal Legislation
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Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention
and Control Act of 1990
 National Invasive Species Act of 1996 –
required USCG to develop voluntary (and in
2004 mandatory) ballast management
guidelines for vessels entering US waters
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Also – vessel BW management plan, reporting &
recordkeeping, safety exemption
New legislation proposed, nothing has
passed to date.
California Laws & Regulations
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1999 - Ballast Water Management for Control of
Nonindigenous Species Act
 2003 - Marine Invasive Species Act established
the Marine Invasive Species Program
 2006 – Coastal Regulations, Coastal
Ecosystems Protection Act (required
establishment of performance standards)
 2007 – Performance Standards Regulations, AB
740 (addressing vessel fouling) recently signed
by Governor
Ballast Water Management
Options in California
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Retain all ballast on board
 Ballast water exchange
 Discharge to an approved
shoreside treatment facility
(currently no such facilities
in CA)
 Use of alternative,
environmentally sound
CSLC or USCG approved
method of treatment
Retention
 Most
frequently used management option.
In the first half of 2006 almost 85% of
vessel arrivals reported retaining all ballast
water on board.
100
90
Percent Vessels
80
70
60
Retain
50
Discharge
40
30
20
10
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Year
2004
2005
2006a
Theory Behind BW Exchange
Coastal organisms won’t survive in nutrient poor
mid-ocean conditions
 Mid-ocean water – density of organisms (#
organisms/volume water) is less, mid-ocean
species not likely to survive in brackish and/or
polluted conditions found in most estuaries and
port regions
 Reduced number organisms +
reduced likelihood of survival
= reduced chance of invasion
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Phytoplankton
Ballast Water Exchange
Flow through – pump
three full volumes of
water through ballast
tank
 Empty-Refill (aka
Sequential) – tank
emptied once and
subsequently refilled
with water
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Exchange Requirements
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AK
United
States E
EZ (AK
)
British Columbia
(Canada)
Ca
na
dia
Northwestern Limit of the
Pacific Coast Region
nE
EZ
WA
OR
ited
Un
tes
St a
EE
CA
Z
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Mexico
xic
Me
an
Z
EE
Vessels entering CA
from outside of US EEZ
- must exchange at
least 200 nm from any
shore and in waters at
least 2000 meters deep
Exchange ballast water
in near coastal waters
(outside of 50 nm) if
that water was taken on
in a port or place within
the Pacific Coast
Region
Southern Limit of the
Pacific Coast Region
Exchange Efficiency
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Inside Golden Bear Ballast Tank
Efficiency of exchange
varies by vessel type
and exchange method
 Ranges from 50 – 99%
 Sediments often remain
regardless of exchange
method – important
because sediments
contain eggs/resting
stages for many types of
species
Need for Treatment
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Exchange is not sufficient to ensure that no
species will be released into coastal waters
 We don’t know dose-response curve (how many
organisms must be released to result in a
species introduction)
 Only truly protective discharge
standard is no species present –
cannot reach this standard with
any management practice other
than ballast water treatment
Hyde BW Treatment System
Ballast Water Treatment Performance Standards
Organism Size Class
California1,2
IMO Regulation D-21
Washington
Organisms greater than 50 µm
in minimum dimension
No detectable living
organisms
< 10 viable organisms
per cubic meter
Organisms 10 – 50 µm in
minimum dimension
< 0.01 living organisms
per ml
< 10 viable organisms
per ml
Technology to
inactivate or
remove:
95% zooplankton
99% bacteria and
phytoplankton
Organisms less than 10 µm in
minimum dimension
< 103 bacteria/100 ml
< 104 viruses/100 ml
Escherichia coli
Intestinal enterococci
Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae
(01 & 0139)
< 126 cfu3/100 ml
< 33 cfu/100 ml
< 1cfu/100 ml or
< 1cfu/gram wet weight
zoological
samples
Ballast Water Capacity of Vessel
< 250 cfu/100 ml
< 100 cfu/100 ml
< 1 cfu/100 ml or
< 1 cfu/gram wet weight
zooplankton
samples
Standards apply to new vessels in this
size class constructed on or after
Standards apply to all other vessels
in this size class beginning in
< 1500 metric tons
2009
2016
< 1500 – 5000 metric tons
2009
2014
> 5000 metric tons
2012
2016
How does this apply to you?
What can you do?
Educate yourself – seminars, journal articles,
news, talk with experts
 Be familiar with the law – international,
federal, states
 Follow Best Management Practices (BMPs)
 Get involved – testing programs,
demonstration projects
 Environmental Stewardship - responsibility
for environmental quality shared by all those
whose actions affect the environment
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Questions ?
Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center