Abstract
Submerged ship surfaces are often inhabited by diverse sessile and sedentary marine organisms, which can directly impact vessel operations and increase the likelihood of non-indigenous species (NIS) establishment and impacts. Ship in-water cleaning (IWC) systems are now being incorporated into biofouling policy, and rigorous, transparent, and predictive verification testing is vital to regulatory success. Performance criteria for IWC approval should focus on environmental protection goals by including: qualified and independent testing; quantitative, robust, and statistically sound data, rather than qualitative observations; water sampling at all critical control points to characterize the release of harmful materials, including dissolved and particulate biocides; measurable and protective endpoints, rather than percent reductions; determinations of presence or absence of macro-organisms, irrespective of species origins or physiological state; and appropriately trained IWC operators.
Highlights
The colonization of submerged surfaces by sessile and sedentary organisms, including microbes, invertebrates, and macroalgae, has long been a significant challenge for coastal and oceangoing ships (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 1952)
As various authorities develop new biofouling policies that include the use of approved ship in-water cleaning (IWC) systems, comprehensive, evidence-based consideration of system efficacy and environmental safety is paramount. This policy brief assesses the methods proposed for evaluating IWC systems, describes the challenges associated with quantifying IWC system performance and environmental safety, and proposes a series of practical and feasible recommendations for the verification testing and approval of ship IWC systems
Independent, transparent, and predictive verification testing of IWC systems is fundamental to regulatory success of emerging biofouling policies
Summary
The colonization of submerged surfaces by sessile and sedentary organisms, including microbes, invertebrates, and macroalgae, has long been a significant challenge for coastal and oceangoing ships (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 1952). Ship in-water cleaning (IWC) has involved divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROV), which use scraping tools or cleaning carts to remove macrofouling from hull and propeller surfaces without capture of released debris (i.e., fouling organisms and coating material) (Jones, 1999; McClay et al, 2015; Morrisey and Woods, 2015). IWC technology is rapidly developing to either (a) capture and process debris removed from ships or (b) conduct periodic proactive IWC (i.e., reduction/removal of biofilms to prevent or inhibit/limit macrofouling growth) (Tribou and Swain, 2010; Scianni and Georgiades, 2019; Tamburri et al, 2020a). As various authorities develop new biofouling policies that include the use of approved ship IWC systems, comprehensive, evidence-based consideration of system efficacy and environmental safety is paramount. This policy brief assesses the methods proposed for evaluating IWC systems, describes the challenges associated with quantifying IWC system performance and environmental safety, and proposes a series of practical and feasible recommendations for the verification testing and approval of ship IWC systems
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