Biofouling: U.S. Contact List
According to the International Maritime Organization, harmful aquatic organisms are a major threat to world oceans. Biofouling, described as the accumulation of microorganisms on ships’ hulls, is considered one of the main vectors for biological invasions.
Introduction
Excessive biofouling can cause ecological harm (Ruiz et al., 2000) as well as excess emissions due to drag. With the former, destruction of local environments due introduction of non-native species is estimated to cost $1.5 to $3 billion dollars a year in the U.S. (Archana et al., 2019). With the latter, a vessel may experience a loss of as much as 15% loss of shaft horsepower (Molland et al., 2014) which contributes measurably to shipping’s “2.7% of [total] global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions” (Bakka et al., 2022).
Techniques to mitigate biofouling in commercial shipping include application of anti-fouling paint and manual removal of microorganisms, usually during shipyard.
Source Documents
The primary document that addresses biofouling in global shipping is the International Maritime Organization’s Resolution MEPC.378(80) adopted July 7th, 2023. The document includes guidelines for management of biofouling on ships. The document is free and can be found on the IMO website.
A secondary document is the IMO’s publication Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species published in 2024. The cost to purchase this publication is around USD $120.
Within California, where I reside, biofouling requirements can be located under the California Code of Regulations Title 2, Section 2298.1 et seq. Having been through this process personally, I would strongly suggest working closely with your ship agent and a California State Lands agent well ahead of arrival.
Biofouling Removal Providers
The IMO maintains a list of U.S.-based biofouling removal providers within their Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).
The list of United States based providers (IMO, 2024) with accompanying contact information is as follows:
Conclusion
A biofouling record book “should be provided to every ship with a Biofouling Management Plan (BFMP), to record relevant biofouling activities such as inspections, maintenance and cleaning activities” (IMO, 2024).
Parameters for addressing biofouling removal can be found in MEPC 80/17/Add.1 Annex 17, page 47 through 52. A primary indicator is slip, or the difference between the distance a ship actually travels and the distance it should travel based on the propellor pitch and number of revolutions.
Further, within a charter party, there may be a biofouling clause. BIMCO maintains a current biofouling clause with notes and commentary on their website.
Shipping Intel
To learn more about how Shipping Intel could help in your maritime tech journey contact info@shippingintel or visit shippingintel.com. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact me directly through LinkedIn.
References
IMO GISIS (2024). DATA REPOSITORY. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://gisis.imo.org
BIMCO Hull Fouling Clause for Time Charter Parties 2019. (n.d.). Bimco. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://www.bimco.org/contracts-and-clauses/bimco-clauses/current/hull_fouling_clause_for_time_charter_parties_2019
Guidance Document for California’s Biofouling Management Regulations to Minimize the Transfer of Nonindigenous Species from Ve. (2017, September 19). California State lands Commission. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://www.slc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/4_8_GuidanceDoc.pdf
RESOLUTION MEPC.378(80) (adopted on 7 July 2023) 2023 GUIDELINES FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS’ BIOFOULING TO MINIMIZ. (2023, July 7). International Maritime Organization (IMO). Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MEPCDocuments/MEPC.378%2880%29.pdf
Shumway, S. E. (n.d.). Biofouling prevention and management in the marine aquaculture industry: best practices in biofouling management, volume 1. UNESCO Digital Library. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383447
2023 Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species. (n.d.). IMO e-Publications. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://imo-epublications.org/content/books/9789280117783
Shipping Intel. (2024). Shipping Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.shippingintel.com/
