Great Lakes Shipping, Invasives report suggests use of “black boxes” to monitor salties’ ballast
July 19, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Sonja Puzic | Source: Windsor Star
Black box data recorders in ocean-going ships could be used to monitor saltwater concentration in the vessels’ ballast tanks and prevent the transport of aquatic invasive species into the Great Lakes, according to a report released this week.
If such technology was widely used in the shipping industry, the ballast tanks’ salinity levels would be transmitted electronically to port authorities before the ship even enters North American waters, eliminating the need for inspectors to physically examine the tanks.
The use of black boxes to help prevent more critters from entering the Great Lakes is one of a number of recommendations made in the report titled Great Lakes Shipping, Trade and Aquatic Invasive Species, prepared by a National Research Council of the U.S. National Academies committee.
