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.
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"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 Admiralty Law Section's Admiralitas Newsletter.
