In the last 1019 the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) started an extensive campaign to investigate the influence of alien species introduced as growth on ship hulls on the Baltic Sea.
The BSH is now extending the investigations to the North Sea. In order to investigate the potential distribution of the species between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, further sampling was carried out in the Baltic Sea beginning with Kappeln an der Schlei on Saturday, September 26th, 2020.
Together with the Senckenberg am Meer research institute and with the support of Ancker Yachting GmbH, the BSH is testing the still wet biofouling of the hulls of the pleasure craft that are craned out for winter storage. The species are classified and identified in the laboratory. A parallel determination of the samples obtained is carried out with genetic analyzes at the Senckenberg am Meer research institute in order to test the applicability of these methods for the determination of non-native species.
The project started with the first sampling in the Baltic Sea in the area between Borgwedel and Kröslin and in the Elbe in the marinas in Wedel and Lauenburg. Isolated samples in the Kiel Fjord showed that the vegetation in the districts is very different.
The comparative measurements are needed to better understand the distribution of non-native species between the North and Baltic Seas. Because the Baltic Sea is also a popular area for pleasure boaters with berths in the North Sea.
There are a total of around 750,000 pleasure craft in the Federal Republic of Germany. Around 425,000 of these are privately owned. There are 3,091 marinas available nationwide with around 206,000 berths. A large part of the berths, about 146,000 (71.0 percent), are in freshwater areas, 54,000 (26.2 percent) in the marinas on the Baltic Sea and 5,800 (2.8 percent) in the areas of the North Sea. Around 12,000 pleasure craft change territory every year via the Kiel Canal alone.
"Although there are guidelines for recreational boaters on the management of biofouling from both the International Maritime Organization IMO and the EU Commission, these are little known" explains Dr. Karin Kammann-Klippstein, President of the BSH, on the occasion of the sampling. "With such initiatives, we want to intensify the flow of information between the authorities and water sports enthusiasts in order to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy marine environment."
As part of the EU research project Complete, measures are being developed to reduce the overall introduction and spread of dangerous aquatic organisms and pathogens by shipping, as well as a joint strategy for the Baltic Sea region for dealing with the topic. Among other things, the BSH is building a database with information on cleaning ships and boats in the Baltic Sea region, which includes both commercial shipping and the pleasure craft sector. It compiles the existing regulations in Baltic Sea ports and gives an overview of available cleaning procedures and providers in Baltic Sea ports. In October, on the initiative of the BSH, the second virtual round table on biofouling will take place with scientists, shipping companies, companies, associations and operators of yachting harbors.