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National Ballast Water Information Clearinghouse

Published by the Marine Invasions Research Lab on 04/27/05

National Ballast Water Information Clearinghouse

The National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (NISA) directed the United States Coast Guard in conjunction with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) to develop a clearinghouse for the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of national data concerning ballast water management and ballast-mediated invasions. As a result, the National Ballast Water Information Clearinghouse (hereafter Clearinghouse) was established in 1997 at SERC.

NISA calls for a variety of measures to reduce the risk of exotic species invasions associated with release of ballast water by ships. Among these, NISA requests that all ships arriving to U.S. ports from outside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) follow voluntary guidelines for open-ocean exchange of ballast tanks that are to be discharged in U.S. waters. This management practice is intended to minimize the transfer of nonindigenous species.

A key element of this legislation is tracking the effectiveness of voluntary guidelines for ballast water management. This assessment includes measuring: (a) the level of compliance with voluntary guidelines, (b) changes in the rate and patterns of ballast water delivery, and (c) reduction in the rate of ballast-mediated invasions. The Clearinghouse was created to provide synthesis and analysis of these measures on a national scale.

More generally, the Clearinghouse functions as a central source of information on ballast water and ballast-mediated invasion including:

Spatial and temporal patterns of ballast water delivery and management;
Patterns and rates of marine and estuarine invasions;
Directory of ongoing and past research on ballast water and ballast-mediated invasions.

Together, these elements provide a valuable resource, which has previously been lacking for management of ballast-mediated invasions. The Clearinghouse produces reports and various databases on national patterns of ballast water management and invasion. This approach is intended to provide access to a rich source of information for education, management, policy, and research.

Goals of the NBIC:

BW Delivery & Management Patterns: Chesapeake Bay
BW Delivery & Management Patterns: All US ports
Patterns of Invasions: Synthesis of Spatial and Temporal Patterns
Patterns of Invasions: Effects of BW Supply and Management
National Database on Marine Invasions: BW Delivery Patterns
National Database on Marine Invasions: Invasion Patterns
Source/Resource for Current Information: BW Delivery and Management
Source/Resource for Current Information: Marine Invasive Species
Source/Resource for Current Information: Directory of Research & Management Activities

Key Contacts:
National Ballast Water Information Clearinghouse at SERC: Whitman Miller at ballast@si.edu or (443) 482-2439

Coast Guard Activities and Regulatory Requirements: (202) 267-2716.

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