Ballast Water and Aquatic Invasive Species

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, has taken an increasingly prominent role in addressing issues related to the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species through ballast water. Ballast water is vital to the safe operation of vessels in the Nation’s marine transportation system. The Maritime Administration supports a strong national and international solution that does not disrupt the transportation system or result in market shifts.

For several years, the Maritime Administration has partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to promote the development and demonstration of technologies for ballast water treatment.  Because of the significant uncertainty regarding technology efficacy for full-scale ship application and the investment necessary to deploy technologies aboard ships, the Maritime Administration has made its vessels available for limited ship board tests. Even so, few technologies proved ready for ship board testing.