 |
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||||
      |
GLERL 2006 Milestone Reports
< GLERL 2006 Milestone main page
GOAL 1: Ecosystem
Scientist: Dr. David Reid (GLERL)
NOAA Program: Ecosystem Research
OAR Performance Measure: Research to improve our understanding of the factors affecting ecosystems and the success of ecosystem approaches to management.
NOAA Performance Objective: Access, model and forecast ecosystem resources for management decisions.
Ecosystem Research Program Performance Measure: PM6: Cumulative number of tools and technologies that improve ecosystem-based management.
Milestone: Assess the application of ballast water best management practices for NOBOB vessels for protecting the Great Lakes.
Purpose: For the Great lakes the greatest risk from the ballast water vector comes with NOBOB (no-ballast-on-board) vessels carrying low-salinity water residuals in their ballast tanks. In 2002 the St. Lawrence Seaway management corporations adopted new regulations requiring ships entering the seaway to certify use of "Best Ballast Management Practices" developed by the Shipping Federation of Canada. However, those practices have never been assessed for their effectiveness, which is very dependent on consistent repeated use. This research is an attempt to assess the effectiveness of certain of those practices in reducing the risk of freshwater nonindigenous species transport into the Great Lakes.
Efforts and Results (to date): Two commercial ships, both maximum size bulk carriers for the Great Lakes trade, were selected based on communications with their owner/operators and because they met our ballast tank access criteria. Both ships were committed to the project by their owners/operators and were supposed (expected) to be regular traders between the Great Lakes and North Europe for the duration of the shipping seasons (2004 and 2005). Field observations were conducted over two shipping season periods, 2004 and 2005.
Commercial considerations came into play that frustrated our experimental approach and our ability to carry out the assessments as planned. During 2005 both ships were diverted from the expected lakes trade for protracted periods during which numerous ballast events occurred. For each ship a period of several months elapsed between the times when observation of the condition of the tanks by members of the research team were possible and during this period there occurred several separate ballasting and deballasting operations. During 2005 we encountered similar unexpected scheduling changes, with three to four months elapsing and multiple significant ballast events occurring before we were able to enter the tanks again.
It was thus impossible for the team to relate the effectiveness of individual ballasting events and circumstances to the condition of the tanks with respect to ballast residuals. We found that there had been a redistribution of sediment within the tanks and estimated an overall reduction in the amount of accumulated sediment of between twenty five and thirty percent between some of our observations. However it was not possible for us to identify outcomes against specific management practices or how individual ballasting events affected the accumulated sediment volume, since there were multiple events and more than one ballast management practice came into play between observations.
Clearly, to conduct such an assessment, one or more ships that can be dedicated to conducting activities required for such assessment would be required. This is not likely to ever be the case and therefore, the effectiveness of the "best ballast management practices" remains speculative at best.
Customer(s): St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporations; U.S. Coast Guard; various non-gov’t organizations; Great Lakes Collaboration agencies; waterborne shipping industry.
Cause Factors (if milestone not met): Assessment was impossible given the unpredictability of ship operations and changes in schedule that did not allow completion of original assessment plans.
Revised Completion Date (if milestone not met): The project will terminate with completion of data processing and reports in December 2006.
Last updated: 2006-07-17 mbl