Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
2.3.2 Shipping
The environmental impacts of shipping include the spread of invasive alien species, pollu-
tion, and potential oil spills. With 90% of world trade carried by sea, the global network of
merchant ships provides one of the most important modes of transportation for the spread
of invasive species.Two major pathways for marine bioinvasion are discharged ballast water
and hull fouling. Invasive species have caused species extinctions and damage to ecosys-
tems and livelihoods, health, and economics in coastal areas throughout the world (Kaluza
et al ., 2010 ) . In the United States alone, the financial loss related to biological invasions is
estimated at $120 billion per year (Pimental et al ., 2005 ).
Cruise ships have notable environmental impacts, particularly with regard to waste and
sewage. It has been estimated that a 3000 passenger ship produces 15,000 to 30,000 gal-
lons of blackwater (sewage, wastewater from toilets and medical facilities) and 90,000 to
225,000 gallons of greywater (wastewater from sinks, showers, galleys, laundry, and clean-
ing activities) each day (Brida and Zapata, 2010 ) . It is also anticipated that cruise ship traffic
in the Arctic will increase with the melting of sea ice (Huntington, 2009 ).
The likely increase of ship traffic in the Arctic has raised a number of urgent concerns,
given the possibility that by 2015 the Arctic Ocean will be ice free for a short period in
the summer. This would mean the disappearance of multi-year sea ice, as no sea ice would
survive the summer melt season (Arctic Council, 2009 ) . Ship traffic diverting from current
routes to new routes through the Arctic is projected to reach 2% of global traffic by 2030
and 5% in 2050. In comparison, shipping volumes through the Suez and Panama canals cur-
rently account for about 4% and 8% of global trade volume, respectively.
The most significant threat from ships to the Arctic environment is the release of oil
through accidental or illegal discharge. Other potential impacts include ship strikes on mar-
ine mammals, the introduction of invasive alien species, disruption of migratory patterns of
marinemammals,andanthropogenicnoisefromshippingactivity.LongerseasonsforArctic
navigation may result in increased interactions between migratory species and ships (Arctic
Council, 2009 ) .
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