An Ecological and Oceanographical Assessment of Alternate Ballast Water Exchange Zones in the Canadian Eastern Arctic

Résumé du livre

Mid-ocean exchange of ballast water is recommended for vessels entering Canadian waters from outside Canadian jurisdiction to minimize the risk of ballast-mediated transfer of nonindigenous species (NIS). When this cannot be accomplished due to inclement weather or other circumstances, designated alternate ballast water exchange zones (ABWEZ) within Canadian waters may be used. Vessels entering Canadian waters to load commodities, such as iron ore in the eastern Canadian Arctic, may increase greatly by 2020. This study evaluates the relative risks from exchange at different locations in the eastern Canadian Arctic, including existing ABWEZs in Lancaster Sound and Hudson Strait, using a coupled-ice-ocean model with meteorological forcing and particle tracking.