Ballast Tanks, and the Hazards they possess.

Larger vessels are made to travel in the open seas and over greater distances. So with these longer travels come bigger weather issues such as storms, large waves, and heavy amounts of wind and rainfall. These large vessels use ballast tanks to stabilize their ships when weather like this comes along. Ballast tanks are large containers within the vessel that can take on water, or release water all at the touch of a button. They are used to put weight in the middle of the ship to help reduce the rocking so the passengers are more comfortable, and the ship can travel faster. They sound like a great idea, use the water that's all around you, to make travels faster and more comfortable, and when you're done with them, you can just release the water back into the oceans.

What is not mentioned with these ballast tanks are what kind of waters are you bringing onto the ship, and what waters are you releasing it back into?  For example one issue that is of concern right now are the zebra mussels in the Great Lakes.To learn more on the effects of Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes, click here. Zebra mussels are indigenous to Southeast Russia, but have spread across the globe. The point to me seems obvious, you are taking on water (and whatever is in the water at that point) on one side of the ocean, and then depositing everything in a completely different section of the world. This is going to turn into a catastrophe because no one knows how salt water organisms will react in a fresh water environment. They may live in harmony, or they may spread like wildfire killing everything in its path just to survive.

A solution that I've just come up with while just sitting here is to why not have filters when taking on ballast water and releasing it. It will stop the larger organisms from travelling into foreign waters and devastating the ecosystems there, and it will keep them in their natural environment. This isn't a perfect solution but if I've been able to come up with this idea by just sitting here thinking for 2 minutes, then why can't experts who are more educated and paid to do this, come up with a better idea and start implementing it so invasions like the zebra mussels in the Great Lakes will stop, or at least slow down?

Cheers