Abstract:The microorganisms surviving in ballast tank have to face very harsh conditions. After doing simulation experiment at land-based test facility for one month, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed distinct differences between ballast water (test group) and natural water (control group), which indicated the mechanism that the bacterial communities might demonstrate temporal variations. A total of 413,806 high-quality sequences and 1,334 singleton operational taxonomic units were obtained. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the major phyla,but the richness of Proteobacteria in test group (mostly Gammaproteobacteria) was higher than that in control group. The concentrations of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi gradually increased from day 15 in test group. At the family level, Flavobacteriaceae became the most abundant taxon on day 5, but gradually decreased thereafter in test group. And the abundance of Pseudoalteromonadaceae gradually increased and it became the dominant taxon from day 10 onwards. The UPGMA analysis showed a tighter clustering of the microbial composition of control group, indicating higher similarities in structure as compared to the test group samples which were more dispersed. PCoA and NMDS were also applied and the results showed that ballast tank environment impacted bacterial community structure.In this study, the richness and diversity peaked on the day 30 after ballasting, which was dissimilar to previous studies. An appreciable number of unclassified reads were noted at the genus level in test group samples during the later ballasting stage. More bacterial taxa were found in ballast water after long age post-ballasting than were present in natural seawater. This increase demonstrated that conditions inside ballast tanks could support the development of some taxa. It suggested that ballast tanks may act as incubators under special environments and further emphasized the risk of species invasion.

Abstract:Analysis of abundance and biodiversity of phytoplankton in ballast water which was exchanged in the high seas of the Pacific Ocean for the vessels calling for Yangshan Deepwater Port was conducted to research the risk of phytoplankton invasion. A total of 4 phyla, 18 genera and 29 species (including variants) of phytoplankton were detected in the samples, in which Bacillariophyta dominates the sample results, 72.4% for Bacillariophyta (common with 13 genera and 21 species), 20.7% for Dinoflagellate (common with 3 genera and 6 species), 3.5% for Chlorophyta (common with 1 genus and 1 species) and 3.5% for Cyanophyta (common with 1 genus and 1 species). In all of the 9 ballast water samples surveyed, red tide algae were identified and there was a potential risk of invasive alien species. The abundance of phytoplankton after ballast water exchange in the high seas was much less than that of ballast water exchange in the domestic coastal waters in China. The current ballast water exchange method can reduce the risk of marine organisms invasion while the ballast water treatment system is required to eliminate hidden risks.

Abstract:The samples of ballast water were taken at Shanghai Yangshan Port from April 2015 to July 2016 from nine vessels which had sailed along 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The seawater was ballasted in South China Sea area, Arabian Sea area, Red Sea area and Mediterranean area. The biodiversity and abundance of phytoplankton were analyzed. In this survey, 30 species of phytoplankton were detected in ballast water, belonging to 4 phyla and 18 genera. Among them, there are 21 species under 12 genera of Bacillariophyta, 7 species from 4 genera of Pyrrophyta, and 1 species of Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta, respectively. The number of species of phytoplankton in ballast water varies from 2 to 7. The dominant species were Hyalodiscus stelliger, Melosira sulcata, Skeletonema costatum, and Dinophysis caudata, among which Dinophysis caudata has the highest frequency. The highest abundance of phytoplankton was (3.983±1.695)×10³ cells/L, sampled from the seawater ballasted in Hongkong in spring. The lowest abundance of phytoplankton, (0.317±0.347)×10³ cells/L, was from the samples of Singapore water ballasted in summer.In addition, 13 species of red-tide algae were identified, including 3 species of toxic algae from 8 ballast water samples. The results showed that the biodiversity and abundance of phytoplankton in the ballast water samples from the South China Sea area were higher than those in other sea areas. Ballast water in all four sea areas has the potential for biological invasion. If some red-tide algae species are released into the Yangshan Port area upon discharging ballast water, the potential risk of red tides will increase, which will endanger the ecological environment of local sea areas.

Abstract:A research of microbial diversity in ballast water sediments was conducted by using Illumina MiSeq2500 high-throughput sequencing analysis. The bacterial samples of ballast water sediment which were sampled from eleven international ships anchoring at Shanghai Port were sequenced and the biological diversity and community structure was analyzed. Total 420,069 of valid reads from 11 samples were obtained, including 38 phyla, 98classes, 226 orders, 393 Families and 704 Genera. The dominant groups were Proteobacteria (72.98%), Actinobacteria (9.11%),Bacteroidetes (8.71%), Chloroflexi (4.06%), Gemmatimonadetes (1.47%), Acidobacteria (1.18%),and others (2.50%). The pathogenic bacteria were also discovered such as Mycobacterium, Planococcus, Paenibacillus, Streptomyces and Inquilinus. The result shows that there are abundant microbes in ballast water sediments. Our study is the first step of having a comprehensive understanding of microorganism in ballast sediment from the ships in a Chinese port and it lays the foundation for researching the invasion mechanism from ballast water.

Abstract:In order to evaluate the influence of dark enclosed environment of ship ballast tanks on the growth of green algae, the study was carried out at five different initial densities (5 cells/mL, 50 cells/mL, 5×10² cells/mL, 5×10³ cells/mL, 5×10⁴ cells/mL) to investigate the relative growth inhibition rate of Platymonas helgolandica under dark conditions and the population response at different growth periods and initial density treatments. The light recovery study of dark-treated Platymonas helgolandica during the dark period was conducted to explore the differences in the population density changes of Platymonas helgolandica without darkness and after darkness at different initial densities. The results showed that after the dark-treatment,low-density (3 cells/mL) Platymonas helgolandica can still reach a higher population density (1×10³ cells/mL) after two weeks of light recovery. For densities of 3 and 3×10⁴ cells/mL,the population resilience of the dark-treated Platymonas helgolandica was weaker than that of the untreated group and there was a significant difference (P<0.05).

Abstract:In order to understand the variation of physical and chemical factors in ballast water, the simulation ballasting experiment was designed and conducted at land-based test facility. Sample data were collected immediately after pumping finished (0 d) and then on days 1, 5, 10, 15 and 30 respectively. The parameters to be analyzed include water temperature, salinity, pH, DO, turbidity, TSS, NO₂-N, NH₄-N, NH₃-N, PO₄-P, TN and TP. Salinity and temperature fluctuated in a small range, and there was no significant change during holding. Natural light was strong, especially in summer, so that was the main reason why natural sea water temperature has declined after being pumped into the dark environment. It might have a certain impact on the temperature of the ballast tank in case of strong cooling weather in winter. The depletion of oxygen of the plankton in the tank did not show significant changes to the DO. The stability of DO and pH could be maintained throughout the ballasting process. Turbidity and TSS decreased significantly within holding time. There was a large fluctuation of TN, NO₂-N and NH₄-N in summer, and of NH₃-N in winter. The initial concentration of phosphorus in winter was higher than that in summer, but it rapidly decreased. It declined notably in its initial stage during winter time.

Abstract:In order to understand the dynamic changes of community structure of zooplankton in ballast water, the experiment to mimic ballasting onboard was designed and carried out at land-based test facility. Samples were collected immediately after pumping finished (0 d) and then on days 1, 5, 10, 15, and 30 respectively. After 30d of holding, the abundance of zooplankton sharply decreased by 93.28% and the number of zooplankton taxa decreased from 11 to 5. During holding, the frequency and persistence of zooplankton were different.The adaptability of different taxa and species to each ballast stage was quite different. Nauplius larval and Copepodid larval mainly accounted for the a highest proportion at 5d, which was the main reason for the significant increase in zooplankton abundance.However, the decay rate did not reach 100% after the 30d holding. MDS analysis highlighted that zooplankton community in ballast water had drastic fluctuation. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that TN, TP and other nutrient conditions have a greater impact on zooplankton, followed by TSS and turbidity, and temperature.

Abstract:The high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the community composition of ballast water samples collected from three vessels which conducted the seawater exchange in international sea and from one vessel in which the ballast water was exchanged at offshore. A total of 27 phyla, 61 classes, 138 orders, 249 families,481 genera and 836 species were detected. The ballast water samples collected from the far shore of the Yellow Sea possessed the largest number of bacterial species detected, up to 564 species; the number of ballast water-borne bacterial species in the far shore of the East China Sea is the lowest with only 406 species. The main dominant groups are Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, of which the Proteobacteria dominates. Pseudoalteromonas is an absolute dominant genus of γ-Proteobacteria, distributed in ballast water samples of various sea areas and has a certain positive correlation with temperature and nutrients but strong negative correleation with salinity and pH; Cyanobacteria and Planctomycetes are the dominant phyla detected in ballast water samples exchanged in the distant shores of the South China Sea, much higher than those in other sea areas, and their corresponding originals. There was a significant positive correlation between dissolved oxygen and environmental factors in the genera Chlorophycoccus and Pseudomonas; it was negatively correlated with temperature and nutrients; and Salinimicrobium was the unique genus which is the dominant phytoplankton in the ballast water samples from the Yellow Sea. Dissolved oxygen and pH were positively correlated with this genus which is negatively correlated with nutrient salts. Marine microorganisms in different sea areas and their marine environment determined the impact on the diversity of ballast water microbes and the unique environment of ballast tanks has certain choices for ballast water microbes. The role of exchanging ballast water on the open seas in accordance with the IMO guidelines has a great influence on the compositional structure of the ballast water microbial community. Therefore, it plays an important role in the protection of the marine environment and the prevention of biological invasion and spread of pathogenic bacteria.

Abstract:April 2015 to July 2016, the samples for ballast water were collected from six vessels that were docked in the upper ocean mountain harbor and who conducted the last ballast in the coastal of China. There were totally 22 species of phytoplankton under 3 phyla, including 17 ofBacillariophyta,4 of Pyrrophytaand 1 of Chrysophyta. The dominant species is diatoms.The phytoplankton from bohai sea covers 5 genes from two phyla with the abundance of 9.66 x 10² cells/L. 10 genes from 3 phyla were identified from the water samples from yellow sea water with the density of 17.91 x 10² cells/L. the abundance of water samples from east China sea is 6.83 x 10² cells/L, including four genes from 2 phyla.The phytoplankton abundance in south China sea is 22.915 x 10²cells/L, including 11 genes (6 for Bacillariophytaand 5 for Pyrrophyta) of 2 phyla.The survey found that there is a difference between phytoplankton and phytoplankton in the ballast water of ships arriving at the port.The composition of phytoplankton in the ballast water may be influenced by local air-bearing groups and seasonal factors. A small number of species in ballast water are exotic species introduced into other sea areas or red tide species in other sea areas.

Abstract:Illumina HiSeq 2500 High-throughput Sequencing Platform was used to sequence the microorganisms samples collected from ship's ballast water and sediment. A total of 67 255 valid sequences and 736 OTUs were obtained. This study focuses on bacterial community structure and diversity of sediment and ballast water in ballast tanks by bioinformatics analysis.The results show that the total number of cultured bacteria of sediment is 3 orders of magnitude higher than the total number of cultured bacteria of ballast water.The dominant groups in the ballast water were Proteobacteria(70.20%),Bacteroidetes(13.38%),Actinobacteria(10.33%) and Marinimicrobia_SAR406_clade(2.81%). The dominant groups of sediments in ballast tanks were Proteobacteria (95.45%) and Firmicutes (2.23%). This study provides scientific basis for the research of ballast water ecology and prevention of biological invasion in ballast water.

Abstract:Due to the high concentration of I^- and Br^- content in the sea water, the electrolysis process for ballast water will produce a certain content of iodo-trihalomethanes (I-THMs), which has the strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. This study is to investigate the mechanism of forming the disinfection by-products, iodo-trihalomethanes, and the influence factors by dosing sodium hypochlide.The results showed that:(1) when NaClO concentration increased from 5mg/L to 15mg/L, the concentration of I-THMs increased by 24.76 g/L; (2) the amount of I-THMs increased with the increasing of temperature and when the temperature is higher than 20 DEG C, I-THMs was generated rapidly; (3) under acidic condition, the production of I-THMs generated is small while under alkaline conditions, the production of I-THMs increased significantly; (4) for the solution with different ratios of bromine and iodine, I-THMs was generated with the different proportions of each component. Therefore, it is suggested that the best reaction conditions should be optimized in the process of ballast water electrolysis in order to ensure the treatment efficacy and effectively control the generation of disinfection by-products DBPs.

Abstract:The Ballast Water Convention, which entered into force on September 8, 2017, stipulates the discharge standards for ballast water of ships. At present, ships need to meet the discharge requirements of the Convention by installing ballast water treatment equipment. However, the instability of the performance of ballast water treatment equipment and the rigorous supervision and inspection of port States control have become the biggest obstacle to the effective implementation of the Convention at the present stage. This article attempts to proceed from the actual operation of the shipping industry in conjunction with the Guidelines for Contingency Measures of the Ballast Water Convention. The requirements of the Guidelines for Contingency Measuresof the Ballast Water Convention, discuss the feasibility of using ballast water port reception treatment facilities as a supplement to enhance the ability of ships to implement the Convention, and through the analysis of the necessity and feasibility of the technology of ballast water port reception treatment facilities, the new technology and traditional ballast water treatment technologies are compared in detail, and their advantages and application prospects are objectively explored and analyzed. It can be foreseen that as a new type of ship ballast water treatment technology and port emergency technology, the ballast water port reception treatment facilities are more green, economical, and highly efficient. While providing new options for ships, they are also further protection of the marine ecological environment provides strong guarantees and reflects the efficient and unified social, economic, and ecological benefits.

Abstract:International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments (Ballast Water Management Convention), which was implemented from 2017, requires the installation of a ballast water management system (BWMS) for international shipping line vessels of 400 gross tons and above. Ballast Water Management Convention requires the installation of ballast water treatment equipments for ships on international routes. But there is a condition that vessels absolve installation of BWMS in the A-4 clause of the ballast water convention. In order to meet the requirements of the Convention of Ballast water convention and reduce the investment of Chinese and Korean routes in the Yellow Sea waters, In recent years, China and South Korea have used academic exchanges and technical assessments to analyze the biological invasion risks caused by the discharge of ballast water in the yellow sea. In this study, the risk assessment of biological invasion was carried out using the Same Risk Area method firstly proposed by Denmark and Interferry. The Same Risk Area Method is adopted for risk assessment. The two dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Yellow Sea and Agent Based Modelling are established, the natural biological diffusion was simulated by the release of Skeletonema costatum, the effects of water temperature and salinity on biological behavior were coupled. The simulation results show that the port waters between China and South Korea has certain natural diffusion connectivity. But the connectivity between test ports cannot be determined from time and space, and the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem is not a Same Risk Area.

Abstract:The theme for World Maritime Day 2016 is "Shipping:indispensable to the world." which highly summarized the relationship between the shipping industry and the world economy. As a bridge of the international trade, the shipping industry connects more than 90% of the world's goods, however, it also brings about some marine environment problems while boosting the rapid development of the global economy.All kinds of aquatic organisms and pathogens carried by ballast water have potential destructive effects on the ecological environment of the port waters, according to statistics, more than 7 000 species are transported tothe new areas by ballast water every day, there are some pathogenic bacteria andalgae in ballast water. The invasion ofthese non-indigenous speciescould destry the ecological balance of the local waters, and then have a great effect on the diversity of marine organisms, moreoverendanger fishery resources and even the health of local residents.At this point, a series of international conventions have been developed, such as the United Nations' , (2005), etc, includingthe (hereinafter referred to as BWM Convention) developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), whichhave already entered into force in September 8, 2017.This paper combines the BWM Convention to discuss Regional Ecosystem Risk Assessment of Non-Indigenous Species Transfer via Ballast Water, and then provides a new idea on the ecological environment management for port states.

Abstract:Through simulation experiments, four sampling methods (water collector method, diaphragm pump method, submersible pump method, and pipeline method) and four sampling volumes (1 L, 10 L, 100 L, and 1 000 L) were compared under summer and winter conditions. The results showed that the method of sampling impacts the analysis of phytoplankton.The density of phytoplankton collected by the four sampling methods in the summer was 1 180.00±20 cells/L, 971.00±20 cells/L, 964.00±20 cells/L, and 676.00±20 cells/L respectively, and 152.00±20 cells/L and 120.00±20 cells/L, 80.00±20 cells/L, 200.00±20 cells/L in winter. The phytoplankton density collected in the four sampling volumes in summer was 1 000.00±50 cells/L, 288.40±20 cells/L, 45.24±10 cells/L, 0.05±0.01 cells/L and 168.00±20 cells/L, 25.20±10 cells/L, 3.32±1 cells/L and 0.05±0.01 cells/L in winter. The results show that regardless of summer or winter, different sample methods and sampling volumes have significant differences in the number of phytoplankton in the ballast water. Therefore, the sampling method and sampling volume affect the analysis of phytoplankton inthe ship's ballast water. The systematic research is conducted to establish a unified and accurate sampling method for ship ballast water so as to provide technical support for ballast water port state inspection and to protect the port and marine ecological environment.

Abstract:According the IMO(International Maritime Organization), more than 10 billion tons ballast water was transported, with more than 7 000 species with the ship ballast water migration in the global scope. In order to assess the risk of being "invaded" by alien organisms in Shanghai and the surrounding sea areas and to investigate pathogenic microorganisms in ballast water from International ships sailing to Shanghai, we have collected ballast water samples from ships berthed in Yangshan port,Chongming port and Waigaoqiao Port for detection. Sample preparation,incubation and detection and identification are operated as the government standard GB/T5750. 12-2006 and Standards for Drinking Water Quality(2001). The results showed some Aeromonas and Enteropathogenic Monoucleosis were detected, including Enterococcus casseliflavus. The total bacterial count of all the ballast water samples was in the range of 10³-10⁴ cfu/ml. Coliform was found in 4 samples from 3 ships,while Vibrio cholera had not been detected. The result demonstrated the risks of pathogenic microorganism in the ballast water of the ships at the Shanghai Port, which warns us to strengthen the management of ballast water. For newly detected pathogenic bacteria, detecting methods and standards should also be established.For the strategy to International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, we should do more survey and collect more data for more detailed assessment about the risk of the incoming ships's ballast water.

Abstract:The potential risk of foodborne pathogens in the ballast water to act as a major vector for public health and port ecological environment has long been recognised. At present, the foodborne pathogens is detected by culture and biochemical identification, Real-time PCR and other methods, which can not detect multiple pathogenic bacteria. This study focused on the application of a high-throughput DNA microarray chip p that can detect 12 kinds of foodborne pathogens. By the chip,every control strain of pathogen can be specifically detected without inferring with other organism. In the level of DNA molecule, the chip can detect the minimal 110 copies for the most sensitive Shigella, and the maximal 7000 copies for Staphylococcus aureus. Pathogens with copies of 10⁴-10⁵, can be detected directly by the thermal lysis bacteria. ballast water supplied with five kinds of pathogens of 1cfu/ml can be detected in 2 hours followed with several hours of culture. the method for the simultaneous foodborne pathogens besides Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella spp,and Shigella spp, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus,Vibrio cholera, Bacillus cereus Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Cronobacter sakazakii, Shigella Castellani could be detected. The minimum limit of the chip is higher than the PCR methods, while the chip of this study was high-throughput, rapid and efficient in the detection,which could be a useful method for the simultaneous detection of foodborne pathogens in the ballast water

Abstract:The total ocean area of the world is approximately 360,000,000 km², accounting for 71% of Earth's surface. As the largest ecosystem of the earth, it contains extremely rich resources and is a valuable asset for human sustainable development. Since the twenty-first Century, with the sweeping of globalization and the upgrading of industrialization, all kinds of global marine problems are increasing and becoming more and more serious.The economic, environmental, health and safety problems caused by the harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens carried by the ballast water from ships are being paid more and more attention by the International Organizations and countries.In this regard, in February 2004, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted (hereinafter referred to as BWM Convention). In order to ensure global and uniform application of the relevant requirements of the Convention, a series of guidelines have been developed by IMO. This paper makes an in-depth analysis of the legislative development of the BWM Convention, covering the structure and content, development history, and the characteristics aspects etc. Meanwhile, it combines the relevant conventions and guidelines to predict the development of the future IMO legislation, so as to provide intellectual reference for the full implementation of the BWM Convention after China's formal accession to the Convention.

Abstract:On the occasion of the coming into force of the 《International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships, Ballast Water and Sediments》, the paper summarized the development of the policy on ballast water by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in recent years and analyzed the situation of multiple batches of ships' ballast water exceeding the ballast water test in recent years. The risk of ballast water discharged from exiting and entering Shanghai port is analyzed. For solving the problems such as the current regulation of ballast water from legislation, supervision, technology and cognition, the author suggests that the ballast water management system should be established as soon as possible, and the risk assessment of ballast water of exiting and entering ships should be actively carried out. ballast water testing laboratories and technical standards about ballast water should be set up, the exchange of information in the area of ballast water supervision at entry points should be strengthened. Relevant laws and standards for ballast water management should be set up. Several section for supervision of ships should strengthen collaboration and improve the management technique. The ballast water not only refers to the public heath and environment, but also refers to economic and trade development, which should cause high priority of all the society.

Abstract:As an important event for the international shipping industry, the entry into force of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 is deemed as a landmark step towards protecting the marine environment. In the context of China's upcoming accession and implementation of the Convention, this paper discusses problems in implementing the BWM Convention and proposes the countermeasures. Firstly, for the absence of legislation on bioinvasion, China's laws and regulationson this issue need to be improved by developing specific law on bioinvasion or amending the existing law. Secondly, by integrating all relevant stakeholders, the authorityshould establish and improve regime on ballast water management in accordance with the requirements of the BWM Convention, following the control procedure from sources, process to emergency response. Thirdly, departments, agencies and enterprises should strength cooperation and lead theoretical research into application field, in order to accelerating the process of putting research outcomes into practice. Fourthly, the independent intellectual technology and production need to be encouraged and stimulated to dispense with the imported core elements. The implementation of BWM Convention will launch a new round of industrial restructuring and phasing out of aged ships, in which technical capacity on ship construction and auxiliary industry will play a significant role for a shipping power.

Abstract:With the development of China's export-oriented economy, from the early 1980s, the construction of coastal ports was accelerated. The rapid development of the port and shipping industry has led to the arrival of a large amount of ship ballast water around the world to China's coastal ports, raising the risk of biological ballast water intrusion. Research on ballast water from ships arriving at ports in mainland China focused on the invasion of pathogenic bacteria from the perspective of hygiene and epidemic prevention, focused on the invasion of harmful algae from the perspective of red tide prevention and control, and gradually extended to the biological diversity of ballast water on this basis. However, it mainly focused on the survey toward the biological species in ballast water. With the entry into force of the International Convention on the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, the study of ballast water organisms will inevitably step into the ballistic water bio-adaptation mechanism and intrusion mechanism. It also promotes the development and innovation of ship ballast water detection technology and provides technical support and guarantees for the performance of the Convention and port State supervision and inspection.

Abstract:Analysis of viable organisms in discharged ballast water including organisms greater than or equal to 10 micrometres and less than 50 micrometres in minimum dimension, organisms greater than or equal to 50 micrometres in minimum dimension, Escherichia Coli, Intestinal Enterococci and Vibrio cholerae is required in detail by D-2 standard of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments. Now a lot of research on ballast water treatment have been done in the world, but some problems still exist in the detection of living organisms, especially in fast detection methods. Several methods including microscopy, flow cytometry, microfluidic chip, molecular biology method, MPN method and plate method are introduced, including their principle, characteristic and limitation in fast detection of ballast water. Based on the characteristics of fast, accuracy, small consumption of sample and high automation, Flow cytometry is the most suitable method for fast detection of ballast water. The convention has no detailed rules on the number of cysts in discharged ballast water, but cysts have worse potential destructiveness to ecosystem, so more research on cyst should be carried out.