Development of the ships’ ballast water management system to reduce biological invasions (BALMAN)

Development of the ships’ ballast water management system to reduce biological invasions (BALMAN)

The BALMAN project addresses ecological, technological and socio-economic aspects of harmful aquatic non-indigenous species (NIS) introductions associated with ship’s ballast water. The project brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of experts representing biological, environmental, socio-economic and technological fields of marine research. Activities are organised into four work packages: WP1. Assessment and classification of environmental and socio-economic pressures associated with ship ballast water mediated biological invasions; WP2. Development of port sampling protocols, rapid assessment surveys and testing their applicability; WP3. Assessment of stakeholder’s perception towards ballast water management and evaluation of technical parameters of ballast water treatment systems; WP4. Development of an information system aimed at synthesis and dissemination of the project results. BALMAN will increase the current knowledge on ship-mediated NIS introductions, stakeholder’s perception towards ballast water management and efficacy of ballast water treatment technology as well as provide evident-based background for exemptions from Ballast Water Convention requirements (by testing “same location” hypothesis).

The overall objective is to foster the development of the ships’ ballast water management system aimed at prevention of biological invasions (bioinvasion) in three countries involved. BALMAN will bring together researchers from Lithuania, Latvia and Taiwan to get synergetic effect resulting from application of their expertise in disciplines related to ballast water management and bioinvasion research.

The project has the following key objectives: 1. Assess and, where possible, classify the pressures associated with ship ballast water mediated biological invasions and their socio-economic consequences in the three countries involved. 2. Analyze, summarize and develop further port sampling protocols aimed at detection of ship ballast water mediated introduction of NIS and access their applicability in Lithuania, Latvia and Taiwan. 3. Explore stakeholder’s perception towards ballast water management based on grounded theory and carry out multi-criteria evaluation of ballast water technical treatment systems for ships. 4. Develop an information system aimed at accommodation of port sampling results and assessment of the NIS risk introductions for the incoming vessels.

LHEI uzdevumi

LIAE is responsible for implementation of WP2 “Development of port sampling protocols, rapid assessment surveys and testing their applicability”, leading the evaluation of the port sampling methods, necessary modifications for monitoring methods of port surveys and elaboration a standardized sampling protocol to be tested by project partners.

Projekta partneri

• Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology https://www.lhei.lv Marine Science and Technology
• Centre, Klaipėda University http://www.corpi.ku.lt
• Institute of Ocean Technology & Marine Affairs, National Cheng Kung University http://www.iotma.ncku.edu.tw/eng/