Potential invasion of microorganisms and pathogens via 'interior hull fouling': Biofilms inside ballast water tanks

Drake, LA; Meyer, AE; Forsberg, RL; Baier, RE; Doblin, MA; Heinemann, S; Johnson, WP; Koch, M; Rublee, PA; Dobbs, FC

Potential invasion of microorganisms and pathogens via 'interior hull fouling': Biofilms inside ballast water tanks

Drake, LA Meyer, AE Forsberg, RL Baier, RE Doblin, MA

Heinemann, S Johnson, WP Koch, M Rublee, PA Dobbs, FC

Permalink

Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Biological Invasions, 2005, 7 (6), pp. 969 - 982
Issue Date:: 2005-11-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	2005002864.pdf		259.39 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Drake, LA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Meyer, AE	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Forsberg, RL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Baier, RE	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Doblin, MA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8750-3433	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Heinemann, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Johnson, WP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Koch, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rublee, PA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dobbs, FC	en_US
dc.date.issued	2005-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Biological Invasions, 2005, 7 (6), pp. 969 - 982	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1387-3547	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3635
dc.description.abstract	Surfaces submerged in an aquatic milieu are covered to some degree with biofilms - organic matrices that can contain bacteria, microalgae, and protozoans, sometimes including disease-causing forms. One unquantified risk of aquatic biological invasions is the potential for biofilms within ships' ballast water tanks to harbor pathogens, and, in turn, seed other waters. To begin to evaluate this vector, we collected biofilm samples from tanks' surfaces and deployed controlled-surface sampling units within tanks. We then measured a variety of microbial metrics within the biofilms to test the hypotheses that pathogens are present in biofilms and that biofilms have higher microbial densities compared to ballast water. Field experiments and sampling of coastwise and oceangoing ships arriving at ports in Chesapeake Bay and the North American Great Lakes showed the presence of abundant microorganisms, including pathogens, in biofilms. These results suggest that ballast-tank biofilms represent an additional risk of microbial invasion, provided they release cells into the water or they are sloughed off during normal ballasting operations. © Springer 2005.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Biological Invasions	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10530-004-3001-8	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Ecology	en_US
dc.title	Potential invasion of microorganisms and pathogens via 'interior hull fouling': Biofilms inside ballast water tanks	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	7	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	en_US
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
dc.location.activity	Aarhus, Denmark
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	7	en_US

Abstract:

Surfaces submerged in an aquatic milieu are covered to some degree with biofilms - organic matrices that can contain bacteria, microalgae, and protozoans, sometimes including disease-causing forms. One unquantified risk of aquatic biological invasions is the potential for biofilms within ships' ballast water tanks to harbor pathogens, and, in turn, seed other waters. To begin to evaluate this vector, we collected biofilm samples from tanks' surfaces and deployed controlled-surface sampling units within tanks. We then measured a variety of microbial metrics within the biofilms to test the hypotheses that pathogens are present in biofilms and that biofilms have higher microbial densities compared to ballast water. Field experiments and sampling of coastwise and oceangoing ships arriving at ports in Chesapeake Bay and the North American Great Lakes showed the presence of abundant microorganisms, including pathogens, in biofilms. These results suggest that ballast-tank biofilms represent an additional risk of microbial invasion, provided they release cells into the water or they are sloughed off during normal ballasting operations. © Springer 2005.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3635