Using Microwaves To Cook Ballast Stowaways

Smivs writes "US researchers say they have developed an effective way to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo vessels. Tests showed that a continuous microwave system was able to remove all marine life within the water tanks. The UN lists 'invasive species' dispersed by ballast water discharges as one of the four main threats to the world's marine ecosystems. For example European zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have infested more than 40% of the US's inland waterways. Between 1989 and 2000, up to $1B is estimated to have been spent on controlling the spread of the alien invader."

The Fail Boat

[keytoe]

If you've seen pictures of the Fail Boat [flickr.com] around the internet, you might be interested to know the story behind it [wired.com] (link is to printer version). In short, the whole ordeal happened as a result of the requirement that they dump ballast water before entering US waters. The story on Wired covers the accident as well as the salvage operation and is an excellent read.

It appears that this is a dangerous enough process that it was worth eliminating it. That, or they're just trying to cut down on travel time by not having to stop - but that's just the cynic in me talking.

Here's a better idea...

[Anonymous Coward]

Instead of microwaves, use the waste heat generated by the ship's engines.

Re:Too little too late

[jafiwam]

They are causing lots of extra costs (and problems) with power plants in the Great Lakes too. They like the warm ejecta water, and screw up the exit pipes for the power plants.

Too bad they don't taste good.

Re:Too little too late

[atraintocry]

I don't know about that specific case, but generally introducing predators isn't done any more because it's kind of like using water to put out a grease fire. Actually it's probably more like using more grease to put out a grease fire...

Chinese Mitten Crab Comes To Hudson River

[chromozone]

People started finding Chinese Mitten crabs in the Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay and balast discharge was mentioned:

  http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/35888.html [ny.gov]

I read articles that make them sound like "rats of the sea" but they do eat them in China so maybe they are good eating (trying to be hopeful).

"The fact they will climb over dams, go on shore into people's swimming pools, burrow into banks, we sure as hell don't need them here," Gabrielson said. "I really believe there's not a damn thing in the world we can do about it."

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070615/NEWS/706150327 [recordonline.com]

Re:Too little too late

[ghostis]

That being said, don't starfish eat mussels? I recall seeing a sped up video of some starfish decimating a group of mussels over an afternoon. Finding a zebra mussel-eating starfish may not solve the issue, but the footage was incredible! ;)

-ghostis

Re:The Fail Boat

[jcnnghm]

Sorry to nitpick, but I'd say the cause was more directly a result of failed ballast tank equipment. It would have happened eventually with or without the law.

Re:The Fail Boat

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, thanks! Just a few weeks ago I read an article in the Wall Street Journal [wsj.com] about the cars that were on that ship and the methods that Mazda is using to dispose of them. It's interesting to read about the accident that led to that strange situation.

Re:Too little too late

[CastrTroy]

The only cases I've heard of that working in is where we "reintroduced" predators back into their natural habitat. We killed off a bunch of wolves, and then restored their population successfully. I don't think it's ever been done to bring in a foreign predator.

Re:Too little too late

[TapeCutter]

Come to Australia, we have bettles, toads, horses, donkeys, water buffalo, pigs, rabbits, foxes, mice, rats, sparrows, starlings, starfish and more wild camels than Saudi Arabia. Every single one of them plus the many species I have ommited are pests.

Re:The Fail Boat

[Panseh]

If you're using firefox, create or edit user.js in your profile folder [mozilla.com] and add this code [mozillazine.org] to stop websites from launching the print dialog.

Re:Life, lemons and unexpected outcomes

[tomhudson]

Talk to anyone who does wreck diving in the Great Lakes. The water used to be really crappy - in fact, in areas it was about as opaque as a glass of lemonade. Or mud. Now it's a LOT clearer.

What we SHOULD be doing is laying removable mesh "beds" for zebra mussels to breed on outside every sewer discharge. Once a good colony is going, remove a portion of the bed each week and grind the mussels up for fertilizer or glue or fish food or whatever.

Henry Ford had the right idea - let people dump anything they want in the river, provided their water intake is downstream of it. After all, if you expect people downstream from you to drink it, you should be prepared to as well ... the zebra mussels are doing a lot of the work that we should be doing, but aren't.

Re:Life, lemons and unexpected outcomes

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow. Just Wow. That is a horrible idea. The zebra mussels don't just suck up toxins they consume nearly all the available oxygen and other food in the area. This makes any zone heavily populated with zebra mussels a no go area for most other species. Second, you can't control where fertilized zebra mussel embryos set down. I know you will come back with a sterilization argument but that is because you have never tried to engineer and breed a large population of 100% non-fertile anything. Third, you can't reuse the mussels for anything. They are so chuck full of toxins that they are poisonous. You sure can't grind them up, that only magnifies the waste problem.