Home - Blank Rome LLP

Register to receive insights and analyses on breaking news and trends across varying industries.
<a class="link-primary mt-4" href="/subscribe">Subscribe</a>

Philadelphia, PA

New York, NY

Wilmington, DE

Cincinnati, OH

Princeton, NJ

Los Angeles, CA

Houston, TX

Tampa, FL

Shanghai

South Florida

Pittsburgh, PA

Washington, D.C.

Chicago, IL

Orange County, CA

Dallas, TX

Boston, MA

From the SS Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967 to the adoption of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) in 1973, the shipping industry has been keenly focused on environmental issues. Historically, regulations have centered on chemical and oil spills, but in the 1980s, a new concern emerged: aquatic nuisance species (ANS). They go by various names, such as nonindigenous species, non-native organisms, or aquatic invasive species, and while the names convey somewhat different attributes, in general, they are transplanted organisms—often via ballast water—that can grow like weeds in their new homes. To address this challenge, ballast water management in the United States has evolved over the past 30 or so years, from a voluntary program at the outset to an extensively regulated operation today.

core/paragraph

To read the full article, please click <a href="https://admin.blankrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/admiralitas-spring-2025.pdf" id="https://admin.blankrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/admiralitas-spring-2025.pdf">here</a>.

"Small Mussels, Big Problems: A Brief History of Ballast Water Regulations in the United States," by Jeanne Grasso, Lisa Drake, and Aristea Zacharopoulou was published in Spring 2025 Issue of Federal Bar Association’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fedbar.org/admiralty-law-section/">Admiralty Law Section's</a>&nbsp;Admiralitas&nbsp;Newsletter.

Download This Article

Maritime

Jeanne M. Grasso

Maritime – Environmental

Article

Publications

Small Mussels, Big Problems: A Brief History of Ballast Water Regulations in the United States

Lisa Drake
Aristea Zacharopoulou

Non Firm Authors

Small Mussels, Big Problems: A Brief History of Ballast Water Regulations in the United States

Offices

Stay Connected

Slide Menu

Slide Search

Small Mussels, Big Problems: A Brief History of Ballast Water Regulations in the United States

Offices

Stay Connected