Screening methods to prevent introductions of invasive species are critical for the protection of environmental and economic benefits provided by native species and uninvaded ecosystems. Coastal ecosystems worldwide remain vulnerable to damage from aquatic species introductions, particularly via ballast water discharge from ships. Because current ballast management practices are not completely ...

The observed rates and deleterious impacts of biological invasions have caused significant alarm in recent years, driving efforts to reduce the risk (establishment) of new introductions. Characterizing the supply of propagules is key to understanding invasion risk and developing effective management strategies. In coastal ecosystems, ships' ballast water is an important transfer mechanism (vect...

To minimize the dispersal of aquatic nuisance species through shipping, ballast water can be treated to kill, remove, or inactivate organisms. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is used in some ballast water management systems to address this goal. Because UV treatment renders cells nonviable (by sterilizing them, preventing reproduction) and does not necessarily kill organisms instantaneously, the eff...

With the growth of maritime traffic and the use of large ships, ballast water has become a leading dispersing agent of harmful organisms (David et al., 2007; Souza et al., 2001). According to Ruiz et al. (2000) human pathogens are also being transported through ballast water. As an example, we mention a cholera epidemic occurred in Peru in 1991 and quickly spread through Latin America (McCarthy...

The unintentional introduction of nonindigenous species by ballast water discharge is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in freshwater systems. Proposed international regulations for ballast water management will require enumeration of viable plankton in ballast water. In this study we analyze the efficacy of vital stains in determining viability of freshwater taxa. The efficacy of vit...

The introduction of aquatic species in resting life stages by the release of ballast water is a less well-known but potentially important invasive species vector. Best-management practices designed to minimize transport of ballast water cannot eliminate this threat, because residual water and sediment are retained in ballast tanks after draining. To evaluate the potential efficacy of chemical t...

In this article, we determined the concentration levels of metals including Zn, Al, Sr, and Co and metalloid of As of ballast water in commercial ships entering Bushehr port, along the Persian Gulf. Ballast water samples were taken from commercial ships entering Bushehr port from 34 ports around the world during 15 February and 25 August 2016. The concentration levels of metals and metalloid we...

This paper describes a stochastic model used to characterize the probability/risk of NIS establishment from ships’ ballast water discharges. Establishment is defined as the existence of a sufficient number of individuals of a species to provide for a sustained population of the organism. The inherent variability in population dynamics of organisms in their native or established environments is ...

The spread of nonindigenous species (NIS) in aquatic ecosystems provides an opportunity to develop new perspectives on the invasion process. In this paper we review existing invasion models, most of which were developed to describe invasions of terrestrial habitats, and propose an alternative that explores long-distance invasions mediated by discharge of contaminated ballast water by ships inbo...

Biological invasions through ships’ ballast water create threats to the environment and to the human health and thus, need to treat prior to the discharge. In this study, an innovative electro-disinfection reactor system is developed and optimized for disinfection of E. coli in ballast water to achieve the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) guideline, 250 CFU/100ml. Optimized hydraulic...