Ballast Water Testing

BOC Sciences can also provide independent validation of the performance, cost-effectiveness and safety of commercial technologies and biological treatments used for ballast water control and treatment. Our analyses inform treatment design to minimize environmental damage, avoid future costs.

Testing Services

BOC Sciences provides ballast water testing, which includes the scope of ballast water testing, data analysis and impact assessment, and biological contamination assessment. At the same time, our experts can also independently verify the performance, cost-effectiveness and safety of ballast water.

Ballast water detection range

Ballast water testing shall be carried out on sailing, berthing and operating ships;

Vessels that do not carry ballast water, fishing boats, vessels sealed in ballast tanks that do not discharge ballast water, and fixed and mobile platforms at sea do not need to test ballast water.

Data analysis and impact assessment

Our marine taxonomists have the knowledge, expertise, and experience needed to detect recently arrived non-native species, and BOC Sciences' team of researchers with specialized fields of expertise can analyze multiple samples from around the world to provide reliable scientific data.

Your results are displayed using the latest imaging technology and reports are prepared that meet voluntary and mandatory regulatory guidelines for ballast water management, treatment and decontamination.

Biological contamination assessment

The accumulation of organisms on submerged structures not only significantly increases the weight and resistance of the structure, but can also promote the spread of non-native species.

While hull fouling may facilitate the spread of organisms between fixed structures in the ocean (e.g., wind turbines, oil rigs, buoys, piers, and breakwaters), on a smaller scale, hull fouling may also facilitate the local spread of invasive species within an area. Fixed structures can provide "stepping stones" for organisms that would otherwise not appear as suitable substrates, and distance can prevent dispersal.

BOC Sciences has extensive experience in assessing contaminated communities to detect non-native species and assess the threat they pose to introduced non-native species.

We plan and execute surveys tailored to the contaminated community and the species that may pose the greatest threat. Rapid assessment surveys are used to detect species that are readily identifiable in the field, while laboratory analysis of samples from surface scrapings or settling plates in one of BOC Sciences' laboratories can detect smaller organisms that may not be apparent in the field.

We interpret this information based on local and international guidelines and knowledge of the receiving environment. The results are used to determine the risk posed by the vessel/structure and allow us to advise on appropriate management options or precautions.

Other services

Our experts can also provide independent validation of the performance, cost-effectiveness and safety of commercial technologies and biological treatments employed in ballast water control and treatment.

What are the Benefits of Ballast Water Testing?

• Ensure the health and safety of ecosystems and avoid polluting the oceans.
• Confirm that the release of ballast water is within acceptable safe limits.
• Determine if the ballast water management system installed on the ship is operating correctly according to regulations.