Skip to main content

Assessment of the efficiency of controls to prevent biologic invasions at the San Lorenzo Port, Argentina

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 192, Article number: 420 (2020) Cite this article

Abstract

The problem created by invasive non-native species through ships’ ballast water has caused the International Maritime Organization (IMO), through the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention and many countries to develop their own laws to prevent their introduction. One of the most important non-native species in Argentina, the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), causes a significant economic impact on the Plata Basin. Argentina has a great amount of maritime and fluvial ports that receive ships from different regions of the world. Particularly, the San Lorenzo-San Martín Port Complex (here termed SLOR), placed in the terminal portion of the Paraná Basin, receives ocean ships with great loading capacity, which increases the possibility of invasions and the need of an adequate environmental management. This work proposes to estimate the potential vulnerability of SLOR port, in relation with the origin of the ballast water and its volume. For this purpose, an adaptation of the risk assessment model of the GloBallast Program was used. The results suggest that SLOR has important similarities with different fluvial ports of the world, especially in Brazil and China. However the amount of ships coming from the nearest estuary waters, where the diversity of invasive species has major effects, is also important. This article provides the necessary information to conduct the efforts through surveys and enforcement regulations, and could be the foundation for future research using global data that could provide basic information for other fluvial ports with similar features.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  • Aber, A., Ferrari, G., Porcile, J. F., Rodriguez, E., & Zerbino, S. (2012). Identificación de prioridades para la gestión nacional de especies exóticas invasoras. Comité Nacional de Especies Exóticas Invasoras. Montevideo: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ávila Velandia, M. F. (2016). Evaluación del riesgo de introducción de especies invasoras en agua de lastre en buques que operan en el puerto de Buenos Aires. Maestría en ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Buenos Aires.

  • Awad, A., Clarke, C., Greyling, L., Hilliard, R., Polglaze, J. & Raaymakers, S. (2004). Ballast water risk assessment, Port of Saldanha Bay, Republic of South Africa. London: GloBallast Monograph Series, 13. IMO.

  • Bailey, S. A., Deneau, M. G., Jean, L., Wiley, C. J., Leung, B., & MacIsaac, H. J. (2011). Evaluating efficacy of an environmental policy to prevent biological invasions. Environmental Science and Technology, 45, 2554–2561.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, S. C., Hayes, K. R., Hewitt, C. L., Behrens, H. L., Dragsund, E., & Bakke, S. M. (2008). Ballast water risk assessment: principles, processes, and methods. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65, 121–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bax, N., Williamson, A., Agüero, M., Gonzalez, E., & Geeves, W. (2003). Marine invasive alien species: a threat to global biodiversity. Marine Policy, 27(4), 313–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berezina, N. A. (2003). Tolerance of freshwater invertebrates to changes in water salinity. Russian Journal of Ecology, 34, 261–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boltovskoy, D., Correa, N., Cataldo, D., & Sylvester, F. (2006). Dispersion and ecological impact of the invasive freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei in the Río de la Plata watershed and beyond. Biological Invasions, 8, 947–963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boltovskoy, D., Almada, P., & Correa, N. (2011). Biological invasions: assessment of threat from ballast-water discharge in Patagonian (Argentina) ports. Environmental Science & Policy, 14, 578–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, M. C. T., Hall-Spencer, J. M. C., Fonseca Poggian, C., & Filemand, T. W. (2017). Ten years of Brazilian ballast water management. Journal of Sea Research, 133, 36–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, M. C. T., Vance, T., Yunnie, A. L. E., Fileman, T. W., & Hall-Spencer, J. M. (2018). Low salinity as a biosecurity tool for minimizing biofouling on ship sea chests. Ocean Science, 14, 661–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darrigran, G., & Damborenea, C. (2005). A South American bioinvasion case history: Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857), the golden mussel. American Malacological Bulletin, 20, 105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, M., & Gollasch, S. (2008). Review EU shipping in the dawn of managing the ballast water issue. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56, 1966–1972.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, J. M., & Lodge, D. M. (2007). Hull fouling is a risk factor for intercontinental species exchange in aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic Invasions, 2, 121–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Endresen, Ø., Behrens, H. L., Brynestad, S., Andersen, A. B., & Skjong, R. (2004). Challenges in global ballast water management. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 48, 615–623.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Global Ballast Water Management Program (Globallast) (2003). User Guide (v. 1.4) for the BWRA Database/ GIS System. London: IMO.

  • Hewitt, C.L. & Campbell, M.L. (2010). The relative contribution of vectors to the introduction and translocation of invasive marine species. Australia: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)

  • International Maritime Organization. (1991). Marine Environment Protection Committee Resolution MEPC.50 (31). London: International Maritime Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Maritime Organization. (1993). Assembly Resolution A.774(18). London: International Maritime Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Maritime Organization. (1998). Assembly Resolution A. 868(20). London: International Maritime Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Maritime Organization. (2004). International convention for the control and management of ship’s ballast water and sediments. IMO BWM/CONF/36. London: International Maritime Organization.

  • International Maritime Organization. (2007). Guidelines for risk assessment under Regulation A-4 of the BWM Convention (G7). London: International Maritime Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ituarte, C. F. (1981). First news on the introduction of Asian pelecypods in the River Plate area (Mollusca, Corbiculidae). Neotropica, 27(77), 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaluza, P., Kölzsch, A., Gastner, M. T., & Blasius, B. (2010). The complex network of global cargo ship movements. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 7, 1093–1103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, R. P., Drake, J. M., Drew, M. B., & Lodge, D. M. (2011). Linking environmental conditions and ship movements to estimate invasive species transport across the global shipping network. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 93–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, T.-K., et al. (2014). Management strategies to prevent the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species in response to the Ballast Water Convention in Taiwan. Marine Policy, 44, 187–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maritime Knowledge Centre/International Maritime Organization (MKC/IMO). (2012). International shipping facts and figures – information resources on trade, safety, security, environment. London: International Maritime Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • MAyDS, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sutentable (2014). Fortalecimiento de la Gobernanza para la protección de la Biodiversidad mediante la formulación e implementación de la Estrategia Nacional sobre Especies Exóticas Invasoras (ENEEI) (GCP/ARG/023/GFF) GEF Project ID 4768.https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente/biodiversidad/exoticasinvasoras/proyecto/objetivos. Accessed 31 Mar 2020.

  • Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios (2008). Plan maestro y director del Sistema de Navegación Troncal. Visión estratégica y bases para su formulación en el Río Paraná. Buenos Aires: Subsecretaría de Puertos y Vías Navegables, Secretaría de Transporte, Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios.

  • Molnar, J. L., Gamboa, R. L., Revenga, C., & Spalding, M. D. (2008). Assessing the global threat of invasive species to marine biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6, 485–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (2011). Assessing the relationship between propagule pressure and invasion risk in ballast water. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pastorino, G., Darrigran, G. A., Martin, S. M., & Lunaschi, L. (1993). Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Mytilidae), new invasive bivalve in waters of the River Plate. Neotrópica, 39(101), 34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prefectura Naval Argentina. (2017). Ordenanza DPAM No. 07/17 “Normas para el control y la gestión del agua de lastre y los sedimentos de los buques, artefactos navales u otras construcciones flotantes”.https://www.prefecturanaval.gob.ar/cs/pna/Home. Accessed 21 Sep 2019.

  • Ricciardi, A. (2006). Patterns of invasion in the Laurentian Great Lakes in relation to changes in vector activity. Diversity and Distributions, 12, 425–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, G. M., Carlton, J. T., Grosholz, E. D., & Hines, A. H. (1997). Global invasions of marine and estuarine habitants by non-indigenous species: mechanisms, extent and consequences. American Zoologist, 37(6), 621–632.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, G. M., Fofonoff, P. W., Carlton, J. T., Wonham, M. J., & Hines, A. H. (2000). Invasion of coastal marine communities in North America: Apparent patterns, processes and biases. Annual Reviews in Ecology and Systematics, 31, 481–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santagata, S., Gasiunaite, Z. R., Verling, E., Cordell, J. R., Eason, K., Cohen, J. S., Bacela, K., Quilez-Badia, G., Johengen, T. H., Reid, D. F., & Ruiz, G. M. (2008). Effect of osmotic shock as a management strategy to reduce transfers of nonindigenous species among low-salinity ports by ships. Aquatic Invasions, 3, 61–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwindt, E., & Bortolus, A. (2017). Aquatic invasion biology research in South America: geographic patterns, advances and perspectives. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 20, 322–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff, D., Parker, I. M., & Windle, P. N. (2005). Introduced species policy, management, and future research needs. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 3, 12–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sylvester, F., & MacIsaac, H. J. (2010). Is vessel hull fouling an invasion threat to the Great Lakes? Diversity and Distributions, 16, 132–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nation Conference on Trade and Development. (2014). Review of Maritime Transportation 2014. Geneva: United Nations Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Bergh, J. C. J., Nunes, P. A. L., Dotinga, H. M., Kooistra, W. H. C., Vrieling, E. G., & Peperzak, L. (2002). Exotic harmful algae in marine ecosystems: an integrated biological–economic–legal analysis of impacts and policies. Marine Policy, 26(1), 59–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Hoek, C. (1982). The distribution of benthic marine algae in relation to the temperature regulation of their life histories. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 18, 81–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Direccion de Proteccion Ambiental of Prefectura Naval Argentina, for providing support for our research on invasions. Thanks to Prefectura’s local unit at SLOR for providing the ballast water inspection checklists and for their efforts in the daily controls. Special thanks to Lic. Roberto Bó and Dra. Evangelina Schwindt for their suggestion and critical comments for improving this manuscript. Finally, we thank the reviewers for all the indications made to article because they helped the work quality to become better.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Dirección de Proteccion Ambiental, Prefectura Naval Argentina, E. Madero Av, 235, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Mariana Abelando, Magalí Bobinac & Jessica Chiarandini Fiore

  2. Instituto Universitario de Seguridad Marítima, Prefectura Naval Argentina, Corrientes Av, 345, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Mariana Abelando, Magalí Bobinac & Jessica Chiarandini Fiore

Authors
  1. Mariana Abelando
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Magalí Bobinac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jessica Chiarandini Fiore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mariana Abelando.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(XLSX 26 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abelando, M., Bobinac, M. & Fiore, J.C. Assessment of the efficiency of controls to prevent biologic invasions at the San Lorenzo Port, Argentina. Environ Monit Assess 192, 420 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08359-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08359-2

Keywords

  • Ballast water, Environmental similarities, Inland port, Risk assessment, Introduced species, Port state control