Assessing Ballast Water Management and Invasions in the Great Lakes: Recommendation of Site Selection and Draft Protocol for NIS Sentinel Sites
Abstract
Nonindigenous species (NIS) can be a significant concern in U.S. waters causing extensive economic and ecological impacts. Ballast water discharge from commercial vessels is a major pathway in which nonindigenous species can be introduced. Although the U.S. Coast Guard has regulations for ballast water discharge, there are no standardized measurements currently established to assess the performance of these management programs in most geographic regions. This project aims to establish such measures at a sentinel site in the U.S. Great Lakes, to be conducted as repeated measures over multiple years. This report provides recommendations and rationale for site selection and sampling protocols for field-based detection measures, as specified in Year 1 of the project. The research team has selected Duluth-Superior harbor as a NIS sentinel site for this project, based on the relatively high volume of ballast water discharge, record of invasions, and partners with expertise at this focal site. The team is comprised of researchers from Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), USCG Research and Development Center (RDC), and collaborators from international, national, regional and local agencies. The team drafted protocols for field surveys to detect NIS and allow direct comparison to existing NIS sentinel sites in U.S. marine ports. The protocols detailed here involve sampling both the benthic and planktonic communities using a combination of habitat collectors, sediment grabs, and plankton pumps. This suite of sampling methods will ensure that repeatable, standardized data are collected, which will provide a comprehensive view of NIS presence within the areas sampled and how that relates to ballast water management.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1172254
Entities
People
- Andrew L Chang
- Brian Steves
- Gabriel Ng
- Gail Roderick
- Gregory Ruiz
- Jenny Zollars
- Monaca Noble
- Ruth Dimaria
Organizations
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center