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ii i i by June Kaliestad I °~ _ -~ ~ ~ ~ , z " _ ,, ,~* Ships need ballast water for stability, but the tiny life forms that stow away in the water can make their home in an- other geographical region, often creating problems. Invasive water species are awell- known problem in the Great Lakes, as well as for ports around the world. Known invaders to the great lakes include the round goby and the zebra mussel. But troublesome foreign single-celled algae like Didymosphenia (sometimes called "rock-snot") are causing problems worldwide, so now is the time to check the Great Lal<es. National Resources Research Institute is lending its research expertise to finding a solution to these escalating invasions. The world's first freshwater ballast test facility was unveiled in Superior, Wiscon- sin, this summer as a collaborative project coordinated by the Great Ships Initiative. The facilit}~ is part of a cooperative effort among the Great Lakes maritime indus- try, federal agencies and other regional stakeholders to stop the introduction of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes. NRRI's algae specialist, Euan Reavie, will be heading up research on how to kill off microscopic organisms effectively in the ballast water so it is free of invasive species before entering a new port Kill- Minnegram ing off algae is a new direction in Reavie's 16 years studying these microscopic life forms as indicators of water quality. But his new focus is timely as new regulations requiring ballast water treatment equip- ment on ships are being pushed through congress. What equipment will be needed, and what treatments are effective? That is what the testing facility will determine. There are many promising technologies available, but they need to be tested for their effectiveness at killing waterborne organisms, and possible residual effects of any treatment needs to be identified. Chemical treatments and de-oxygenation and electronic technologies, like ultravio- let light, are some technologies that may be evaluated. Reavie is part of a team of scientists studying small freshwater animals, bacte- ria and viruses. "We are benefiting so much by having Euan on our team," said Allegra Cange- losi, project leader from the Northeast- Midwest Institute in Washington, D.C., "His scientific input and deep knowledge of algae research and skills in scientific design add huge value to our research:' A 20-member Executive Committee pro- vides project oversight.. The world will be watching the progress of the ballast water technologies because all countries suffer from invasive species in their ports-though vari- ous regulations are trying to stem their spread. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved regu- lations that will phase in water treatment equipment on salt water ships beginning in 2009. Ships on the Great Lakes will also be required to install equipment, but no timeline has been established. ~ ;; ~ The "lighter" side of invasive algae © -. ~ ~c,~,~~"' Killing algae comes with a special problem- '~' it's hard to tell whether they're dead. Unlike microscopic animals, which show clear move- 4~~~ ~' ment when they are alive, algae (phytoplankton) are mostly passive and rely on the water current to move them. Reavie developed a way to con- ~ '~~,;.~--~ firm that algae are dead using a florescent stain. The special stain can pass through only dead cell membranes, causing them to glow bright green ,/ so that dead algae can be easily identified. A 1~ The photos show four algae specimens under ~1 brightfield (left) and fluorescence (right) mi- croscopy. Ared glow comes from the natural fluorescence of chlorophyll, and a green fluores- cence (in the bottom two specimens) shows that the stain has penetrated the cell membrane and - ` ' attached to the proteins in the nuclei, indicating fi ~ that those cells are dead or dying. 5 Qecember 2007