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Title and Description:
An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Ballast Water Exchange (BWE) in Controlling Aquatic Nonindigenous Species (ANS) in the Great Lakes Basin and Chesapeake Bay.
In the 2005 Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations (CJS) bill, Congress directed that NOAA "shall submit a report to the Committee detailing the effectiveness of ballast water exchange programs in controlling invasive species in the Great Lakes basin and the Chesapeake Bay." This report is being produced by the NOAA National Center for Research on Aquatic Invasive Species, located at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, with support from subject matter experts from government and academia. This report will critically review what is now known about: (1) vessel traffic to the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay, focusing especially on changes that affect the supply of ballast-related propagules over time, (2) the effect of ballast water exchange on reducing the transfer of coastal organisms in ballast tanks; and (3) the effect of exchange on reducing new invasions in coastal ecosystems, with an emphasis on the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay.

ID:  25 Info. Type:  ISI
Estimated Dissemination Date:  7/3/2006
Contact Person:  Linda Suttora   NOAA Locator

Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda:  6/16/2006

Estimated Peer Review Start Date:  4/10/2006
Review type:  individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers:  3 or fewer
Peer reviewers will be selected by:  the agency

Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers?  no

Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed?  no

How?  NA

When?  NA

Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review?  no

Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review:  biology and engineering

Comments on Peer Review:
Charge to the peer reviewers:  ID25_Charge_Letter_Peer_Review_Panel.pdf

Peer Review Report:  ID25_PeerReviewReport.pdf  (completed 5/19/06)

Agency response to Peer Review Report: ID25_Ballast_Water_Response_to_Reviewers.pdf