The study will help to understand how climate and biodiversity in the Arctic are changing

Experts from the Institute of the World Ocean of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), together with colleagues from Germany, will study the ballast water of ships operating along the Northern Sea Route. This work, in particular, will make it possible to understand how the climate and biodiversity in the Arctic are changing, said Kirill Vinnikov, director of the institute, in his interview with TASS.

In accordance with the BWMC Convention, all merchant ships are required to control the discharge and exchange of ballast water in order to prevent the spread of potentially harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens. Including, by September 8, 2024, ships shall be equipped with systems for ballast water purification.

“We have already submitted applications for projects to study the ballast water of ships passing along the Northern Sea Route. We are extremely interested in observing how the Arctic is changing both in climatic conditions and in terms of biodiversity. By opening this new route and implying its active use, we have to predict the consequences: how these ships will disrupt the balance of marine ecosystems," the interlocutor said.

He said that the project is going to be implemented together with several German organizations. German colleagues will study ballast water coming to Europe from Asia, and FEFU experts will control ballast water coming to Russia from ships of European countries. This will allow building models of changes in marine ecosystems, as well as developing a technology for express diagnostics.

Source:  TASS