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Our Bureau

Kochi, Aug. 11 The Volvo Ocean Race is taking part in a pioneering project aimed at finding out how the oceans have been affected by ships’ exchanging billions of tonnes of ballast water.

Each boat in the race will be involved in the programme which was initiated by the Official Logistics Partner, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL). The dedicated media crew member on board each racing yacht will be responsible for taking regular water samples using a sophisticated testing process based on bioluminescence using a measuring instrument called a luminometer.

The research at sea involves recording the mass of species in the sample and reporting the results. A scientific report of the findings will be published post-race, a press release issued here said.

The race route provides scientists with a rare opportunity to analyse the biomass of the water in deep seas not on the regular shipping routes.

WWL, an environmental leader in logistics and ocean transportation, is enthusiastic about the project. It provides an opportunity to advance scientific research as to how foreign invaders found in ballast water are upsetting the eco-systems.

“Invasive species are one of the four major threats to the world’s oceans, the other three being global climate change, marine pollution and over fishing,” the release said.

The United Nations marine body, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), is in the process of getting member nations to ratify a convention which would force countries to ensure that their ships treat their ballast water so that it doesn’t carry invasive species to other oceans.

Every country on the 2008-09 race route is under threat from invasive marine species, from the Ostrea gigas (oyster) in South Africa, which has destroyed habits and caused eutrophication, to the Gymondinium catenatum in China, an algae which has caused shellfish poisoning.

To put this research in perspective, the IMO has issued a dire warning about the threat of invasive marine species carried across the world in ballast water.

“Unlike other marine pollution, from which the environment will eventually recover, the impacts of invasive marine species are most often irreversible,” the release added.

More Stories on : Shipping/Ports | Environment

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