ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BALLAST WATER INTRODUCTIONS - A SUGGESTED APPROACH

An ecological risk assessment methodology is suggested as a means to i nvestigate the efficacy of ballast water management strategies, addres sing any one of a number of potential endpoints linked to the transpor t, release and control of non-indigenous marine organisms associated w ith ballast water. The methodology is based upon the Quantitative Risk Assessment paradigm more commonly employed in nuclear and chemical pr ocess industry. The paper advocates a case-specific approach to ballas t water risk assessment and provides a general discusion of some of th e difficulties that may be faced in such an assessment, illustrated by reference to a hypothetical biocide treatment strategy. (C) 1998 Inte rnational Council for the Exploration of the Sea.