Ballast water is the fluid used by ships to add weight to their ballast tanks and cargo to lower them to a sufficient depth in the water. Ballast water is a crucial part of a ship’s operation since it keeps a ship stable and balanced during voyages. However, the aquatic biota may be adversely affected by the discharge of ballast water from ships. The reason for this is that ballast water can carry a variety of creatures, including plankton, algae, bacteria, viruses, and larger organisms like fish, crabs, and mussels. The biggest portion of exotic creatures discharged into the marine ecosystems on regular basis may come from ship ballast release. Ballast water is the main mode of spreading alien species over the globe (Chan et al., 2015). The introduction and spread of foreign invasive species is a significant issue with negative effects on the environment, economy, human health, and native biological variety thus disrupting food webs.
To begin with, the introduction of invasive species to the marine ecosystem harms the environment. Invasive species are capable of causing extinctions of native flora and fauna, limiting biodiversity, competing with native biota for limited resources, and modifying environments. Long-lasting resident species have experienced multiple well-documented extinctions and this leads to ecosystems along the coast and in the Great Lakes may be severely disrupted (Löfqvist et al., 2022). For instance, the zebra mussel was brought to the Great Lakes in North America via ballast water and it has had a substantial effect on the local environment, causing modifications to the water quality and the extinction of native mussel species. Planktonic food webs died off and littoral food webs grew as a result of the zebra mussels’ invasion (Strayer, 2009). The Caspian Sea in Asia is where zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are found naturally. They arrived in the Great Lakes region in the late 1980s by ballast water from a transatlantic ship. The Great Lakes, Mississippi, Tennessee, Hudson, and Ohio River basins were all occupied by these mussels within ten years. It is therefore clear that invasive species introduction has a negative influence on aquatic ecosystems and management measures are required to address this problem.
The importation of invasive species into new ecosystems hurts the economy as it interferes with the productivity of aquatic habitats. This is due to the impacts these invasive species have on marine resource production. Billions of dollars are incurred annually as losses due to invasive species effects on marine natural ecosystems’ production thus lowering the economy. The health of natural aquatic ecosystems is essential for many commercial, economic, and agricultural activities. Notably, the United States is facing an increasing threat from exotic species, which is harming industries like agriculture, forestry, fisheries, power generation, and international trade (Lovell & Stone, 2023). This harms the economy and poses a threat to the economy of a state. The losses range between millions to billions of dollars yearly and thus are rather significant (Lovell & Stone, 2005). It thus follows that introducing new species to an ecosystem by ballast transits poses a risk to a country’s economy.
Another effect of ballast-water invasive species` is on human health hence serious attention is needed to curb this problem. According to Kim (2023), human health is severely harmed by the increased risk of invasive alien species spread by ship ballast water. Human pathogens are dispersed globally through the movement of ballast water by ships. Both the prevalence of aquatic diseases and the spread of microorganisms are influenced by these infections (Takahashi et al., 2008). Shellfish and mussels are directly impacted by harmful microalgae species brought about by ballast water. This is due to their diverse morphologies and levels of toxicity. When consumed, they induce varieties of illnesses in humans including digestive difficulties, respiratory problems, and skin allergies (BİLGİN GÜNEY, 2022). Hence, it is revealed that invasive species’ introduction into other ecosystems hurts human health.
Lastly, invasive species harm native biodiversity thus disrupting food webs in the marine ecosystem. They have the potential to change the diversity or abundance of species that provide vital habitats for native creatures. They also alter an ecosystem’s food chain by eradicating or substituting local food sources. According to Wahl (2023), anaggressive species can replace a varied community and entirely disrupt its conditions. One of the main drivers of global biodiversity loss is the out-competition of native species for resources like food, water, and habitat leading to loss of diversity (Pyšek & Richardson, 2010). Human well-being suffers greatly as a result of biodiversity loss. This starvation encompasses the decrease in dietary variety particularly in developing nations leading to famine and infections. A country`s culture and economy are significantly impacted due to a decrease in the workforce as people lack enough resources for energy generation. Henceforth, it is evident that invasive species damage native biodiversity by disrupting the marine ecosystem’s food chains and this reduces production.
In conclusion, the response of aquatic biota to ballast water from ships can vary depending on several impacts from the imported invasive species on the environment, economy, human health, and native biological variety. International standards must be implemented to minimize the possibility of bringing harmful organisms into stable environments. This will help to offset the inherent adverse effects of ballast water on marine ecosystems.
Reference
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Chan, F. T., Macisaac, H. J., & Bailey, S. A. (2015). The relative importance of vessel hull fouling and ballast water as transport vectors of nonindigenous species to the Canadian arctic. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 72(8), 1230–1242. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2014-0473
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