The National Ballast Information Clearinghouse (NBIC) is a joint program of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and the United States Coast Guard that collects, analyzes, and interprets data on the ballast water management practices of commercial ships operating in the waters of the United States. The principle aims of NBIC are to quantify the amounts and origins of ballast water discharged in US coastal systems and to determine the degree to which such water has undergone open-ocean exchange or alternative treatments designed to reduce the likelihood of ballast mediated invasions by exotic species. NBIC was established in 1997 at the direction of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (NISA). Ballast water data are available for download from our online database.
For ballast report-related questions contact NBIC: nbic@ballastreport.org
For questions regarding BW management, please contact the USCG Ballast Water Management Program.