Hydrobiological Studies of the Ballast Waters of Cargo Ships in Russian Sea Ports

The results of the first studies on the ballast waters of commercial vessels in Novorossiysk and Vladivostok ports are presented. Data on the composition of the flora and fauna, their abundance, viability, and the origin of the species were obtained. In the zooplankton from the ballast waters sampled in the Novorossiysk port, 31 species of holoplankton and 15 species of meroplankton were found. The total number of zooplankton varied from 1.3 to 60 thousand ind./m(3). The Mediterranean basin, providing 62% of the ballast waters, represents a vector of the greatest risk. In the port of Vladivostok, in the ballast waters of the vessels of the Russian-Japanese and Russian-Chinese lines, 45 species of microalgae, 24 species of zooplankton, 22 species of meroplankton, and 10 groups of meiofauna were revealed. In addition, 24 species of microscopic filamentous fungi were identified and 28 morphologically distinguishable strains of bacteria were isolated (in total not less than 153 species). The basic groups of risk for bioinvasions in the basins of the Black Sea and the seas of the Far East were revealed. The need for control of ships' ballast waters in Russia, which is presently lacking relevant national methodical guidelines and legislation, is substantiated.