Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Washington
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Objectives A multi-year cooperative research with multiple ballast water objectives and multiple partners/cooperators is envisioned. This project will focus on research and development of ballast water treatment technologies and potential introductions of marine and estuarine species in Puget Sound. Specific objectives include: Objective 1. Prevent introductions of aquatic invasive species through technology development leading to effective management of invasion pathways and control points with emphasis on detection and treatment of ballast water organisms. Objective 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of marine ballast water technologies to assess the ecological risks and economic costs associated with new and existing ballast water practices. Objective 3. Develop science-based risk assessment and modeling to support prevention and timely response to ANS invasions. Objective 4. Assist in the development of adaptive management for containment an/or reduction of coastal impacts resulting ANS species invasion.