What are the Problems with Ballast Water?
Coastal port areas are home to a wide variety of organisms that live in the water and bottom sediments. As a ship loads ballast it also loads many of the organisms living in that port. These organisms range in size and phyla, from microscopic plants and animals to mussels, crabs, and even schools of fish! The ballast water of shipping vessels has been a primary method of exotic species introduction throughout the world. Scientists estimate that as many as 3,000 exotic species per day are transported in ships around the world, however, not all transported species survive the trip and their new home. Some of the species that do survive the trip are able to thrive in their new environment. Therefore, zebra mussels cause disruptions in the natural ecosystem, economic troubles, and even carry human diseases.
