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Quantifying the extent of niche areas in the global fleet of commercial ships: the potential for “super-hot spots” of biofouling

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Abstract

Niche areas of ships, such as lateral thruster tunnels, sea chests, and propellers, are often hot spots for the accumulation of biofouling organisms, a potential source of aquatic invasive species. Yet, the relative importance of different niche areas is poorly resolved, in terms of both total surface area and the associated biota (i.e., the species of organisms and their abundances). To address this information gap, a method was developed to estimate the extent of various niche areas in the global fleet of 120,252 commercial ships active between 1999 and 2013. The total niche area for these vessels was estimated to be 32,996 × 103 m2, representing approximately 10% of the total wetted surface area (WSA) available for colonization by biota. Considering the portion of niche areas relative to the total WSA, it was highest for passenger vessels (27%), followed by tugs (25%), and fishing vessels (21%), with niche areas representing a small portion of the WSA for bulk carriers and tankers (7–8%). Examining the different types of niche areas, thruster tunnels had the greatest total extent (10,189 × 103 m2), representing a disproportionately large contribution (>50%) of the total niche area for passenger vessels and tugs compared to other vessel types. This result, combined with the use and cleaning of thrusters, may render them “super-hot spots” of biofouling. The uneven distribution and extent of niche areas across vessels has implications for transfers of organisms and management strategies to reduce invasions associated with the surfaces of ships.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (funding agreement 2012–38) and the Maritime Administration (MARAD). We are grateful to Carolyn Junemann (MARAD) for guidance and programmatic support, and we thank Mark Minton (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center) for his insights regarding the shipping data. Likewise, we appreciate advice from Rich Everett (U.S. Coast Guard Office of Environmental Standards) and the data provided from the National Ballast Information Clearinghouse (NBIC). This work was supported by Diane Lysogorski, Former Section Head of NRL Code 6136 and Director of the Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering—Key West, Florida. Finally, the reviews of this manuscript by Edward Lemieux (Director, Code 6139, Naval Research Laboratory), Warren Schultz (Acting Superintendent, Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory), James Carlton, and two anonymous reviewers improved it—thank you.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6137, Key West, FL, 33040, USA

    Cameron S. Moser & Lisa A. Drake

  2. Excet Inc, Springfield, VA, 22151, USA

    Timothy P. Wier, Scott C. Riley & Stephanie H. Robbins-Wamsley

  3. Chemistry Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6137, Washington, DC, 20375, USA

    Matthew R. First

  4. Battenkill Technologies, Inc, Manchester Center, Manchester, VT, 05255, USA

    Jonathan F. Grant

  5. Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, 20688, USA

    Mario N. Tamburri

  6. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA

    Gregory M. Ruiz & A. Whitman Miller

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  1. Cameron S. Moser
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  2. Timothy P. Wier
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  10. Lisa A. Drake
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Correspondence to Cameron S. Moser.

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Moser, C.S., Wier, T.P., First, M.R. et al. Quantifying the extent of niche areas in the global fleet of commercial ships: the potential for “super-hot spots” of biofouling. Biol Invasions 19, 1745–1759 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1386-4

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